


A Cry For Help

by PorcelainLove



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Bathing, Fluff, Internal Conflict, Later chapters will be rated E, M/M, Masturbation, Person saving, Waterfall!, blink and you'll miss it Promptis, butt stuff, first chapter is plot, monster fighting, safe sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-14 05:16:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11776278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorcelainLove/pseuds/PorcelainLove
Summary: “It’s not a bug, big guy.  I’m super sure. I’d stake my life on it.”“…and ours too?” Gladio mumbled under his breath, voice clearly irritated.Prompto hears something and leads the group into the Malamam Thicket.  Vegetable eating, monster fighting, and clothing issues ensue.Summaries are hard.  Chapter 1 is pure plot, SFW.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story developed from one thought: voyeur. I'll just let that sink in.  
> ...  
> ...  
> ...  
> I hope you all enjoy!

“Hey guys – stop!  Do you hear that?”

Ignis cocked an ear and pulled on the reins in his hand, coaxing his chocobo to a halt.  The bird issued a curious _kweh_ before falling silent, eyes moving about as if he heard something too.  Noctis and Gladio drew up beside Ignis and there was a loud fluttering of feathers as they dismounted and moved towards Prompto.

When Prompto had made the exclamation, he had also rocketed off his own chocobo, leaving Ignis the only one still sitting astride the great bird.  Looking at the worried expression on Prompto’s face, and their proximity to Malamam Thicket, Ignis thought it best to humour the boy and dismounted as well.  He smacked his chocobo, a lovely silver youngling, gently on the rump and it dashed away, leaving tiny feathers in its wake that shone like snowflakes in the sunlight.

“Prom, you okay?” Noctis came up beside his friend, slinging an arm over the blond’s shoulders and tilted his head to one side, trying to listen.  “I don’t hear anything.”

“Shhh!” Prompto hissed and then, at Noct’s hurt expression, squeezed the Prince’s hand apologetically.

Ignis came up behind the both of them, Gladio following, and focused his attention on the path ahead, intent on discovering what had drawn the young gunslinger’s attention. He heard nothing out of the ordinary.  He clicked his tongue in displeasure.  His chocobo had already run off, likely to eat, so they would have to wait a while before their rides were willing to return.

Then, out of the blue, Ignis heard a faint tapping sound.  Prompto’s eyes blazed triumphant when he saw the others heard it as well.  Although the sound was far away and the area there were in was surrounded by trees and rock that distorted noise, Ignis had a dreadful feeling it was coming from inside the Malamam Thicket.

Ignis heaved a silent sigh of exasperation, because of course it was.  Nothing was ever easy when it came to them.

“I dunno Prompto, sounds like it could be anything.” Gladio had the remarkable talent of saying what everyone, except Prompto, was thinking.  “There are monsters in there – bugs too.”

“It’s not a bug, big guy.  I’m super sure. I’d stake my life on it.”

“…and ours too?” Gladio mumbled under his breath, voice clearly irritated.

Prompto chose to ignore Gladio in favour of looking at Ignis.  Noctis let his arm fall off Prompto’s shoulders and turned to face Ignis as well.  Noctis was clearly on Prompto’s side, even though it seemed clear enough that he also didn’t think much of the unknown sound.

“Ignis, you heard it, right?  We can’t ignore it!”

“I heard… something, I will admit.  But I am inclined to agree with Gladiolus. It could be anything.  Do we want to risk—“

“Come on!” Prompto’s voice was threaded with frustration now. Frustration and exasperation.  “It’s morse code, guys!”

Ignis blinked.  He had not thought about that code, a way of transmitting messages over long distances when other communication was impossible, for many years.  He paused and held up a finger, silently telling Prompto to hold his next thought.

_TaptaptapTAPTAP—_

Ignis looked deep into Prompto’s eyes, finally understanding what had gotten the blond so worked up.  That rhythmic tapping noise was unlikely to be from a monster, or a daemon, or even just the wind nudging a large branch.  And the pattern was repeating, over and over.  The source could only be human and, if Ignis remembered his coding correctly, was a cry for help.

Ignis bowed his head in acknowledgment of Prompto’s assessment.  He already knew Noctis would not refuse Prompto anything.  And Gladio, well, Gladio would do his duty, whether or not he disagreed with the orders.

“Let’s go.”

With a giant smile that turned into a grin of determination, Prompto took the lead and led the others to the entrance of the Thicket.  It was large and ominous, even in the sunlight, but if Prompto was willing to brave the insects that resided within, Ignis was willing to take a small leap of faith.

The four of them crept through the dense undergrowth as silently as possible, and hugged the rock walls in an attempt to disguise themselves further.  There were mandrakes and wasps aplenty which made Ignis rather concerned because he had checked his curatives in the early morning and they were almost out of smelling salts. 

Thankfully, and maybe Prompto had an Astral looking out for him (it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing in the world) because all the monsters were otherwise occupied.  There were even a few times when the mandrakes were fighting the wasps – the wasps won, of course, but they were weak enough that one or two warp strikes from Noctis finished them off.

They finally arrived at a stream, fast-moving enough to suggest they were close to the source.  Conveniently, and Ignis thanked every Astral by name at this point, there was a haven in plain sight.  Whenever whatever this was was over, at least they would be able to rest and recuperate, not to mention bathe.  Ignis was beginning to miss civilization if only because he much preferred hot water to cold.

Knowing they would be staying in the area long enough to search for the source of the code, Gladio decided to make camp.  Ignis wasn’t entirely sure where all the equipment came from – Gladio certainly didn’t seem to be carrying much more than a great sword and a smirk at the best of times – but he was appreciative none the less.

Ignis rifled through his notes as quick as he could to find a recipe that could help them as they searched for the human in need.  As much as Prompto wished to run off and help as soon as possible, Ignis knew that it would do no good if they all fell victim to confusion – an ailment that seemed to run rampant in these parts. 

It didn’t take too long to make the meal – Three-Mushroom Kebabs to be precise.  Gladio, in his infinite wisdom, had seen fit to pick up some malmashrooms on his way through the thicket which enabled Ignis to create the dish.  Ignis hadn’t used it before to counteract the effects of confusion, but his notes detailed that it worked well against poison, toad, and (thankfully in Prompto’s case) instant death.  Ignis suspected it would work just as well against confusion and hoped to test his theory.

Noctis, of course, was being difficult.

“Veggies, Iggy, really?”

“Noctis, really – it this the time to complain?”

“It’s always time to complain about vegetables, you know that.  Especially since you’re always sneaking it into my meals – don’t think I can’t taste it!”

Prompto was antsy, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he demolished a kebab.  Gladio, surprisingly, polished his off with a little more poise.  Ignis, of course, had tasted it while he made the recipe so he was also ready to go.  He had packed a few extra servings in case the person requiring their attention needed some help along those lines as well.  Noctis was the only one still resisting.

“Isn’t there another way?” Noct was whining and everyone knew it.  Prompto came closer and, to Ignis’s surprise, didn’t act angry or impatient with him at all.  He took the kebab from Ignis’s hands, bent closer to Noctis’s ear, and whispered something.  Whatever he said it must have worked because within a minute Noct had grabbed the kebab and was shoving chunks of ‘shroom into his mouth.  Prompto had a bit of a smile on his face which made Ignis slightly suspicious but he ignored it because he most assuredly did not want to know what had made Noctis’s ears flush red.  Instead, he readied himself for a fight.

“Let us be on our way – there is someone in desperate need of our aid.  Prompto, if you could lead the way.”

“You know it!”

Prompto practically ran down the slope as he dragged Noctis behind him.  Ignis followed, leaving supplies they would not be needing at the campsite for use upon their return.  Depending on the circumstances, he might need to be carrying someone and the more weight Ignis could carry, the better.  Gladio, of course, would be the likely choice for a rescue mission however Ignis was certain that the man could be far more helpful protecting their flank.

They headed upstream, a few minor skirmishes along the way netting them an adrenaline boost and clearing their return path.  When they finally made it to a clearing, Ignis was astounded by just how large the area was.

The water from an actual waterfall – not something manmade – was roaring down and explained the strong current they had felt near the haven.  Oddly enough, there was not a lot of noise.  Could it have been magical in nature?  There was certainly enough water pouring down but somehow once it hit the rocks below, the sound dissipated, almost like something was absorbing all the noise.

Prompto was able to zero in on the tapping noise, now much louder.  But the pauses between the bouts were getting longer and Ignis suspected that was a bad sign for the person inside of what appeared to be a giant nest.  There was a hand just barely sticking out, blade in hand, and the hilt was rapping against solid stone.

The nest itself looked imposing. Ignis had not seen anything of the like and, based on the gasps of surprise and shock from around him, neither had the others.  It looked… papery, like millions of thin strips had been stuck together in swirling patterns and then tossing against the nearest hard surface.  As they got closer Gladio, silently, began pointing out other appendages that were hanging in plain view or behind thin enough layers of the nest that they could be seen. Apart from the hand that had drawn them in, nothing else was moving.

Something caught Gladio’s eye on the other side of the area and his eyes widened. “Well fuck me.”

Ignis almost did not want to see what could cause the Shield to be taken aback.  He turned anyway and saw what could only be described as a veritable Titan of the wasp family.  The colourings identified it as a soldier wasp, Ignis was quick to note, but it appeared to have grown three sizes too big.  As the group stood, shocked into stillness, the wasp made an angry buzzing noise.  It was only then that Ignis realized there should have been many more animals and monsters out and about.

There was a shell here, a rotting pair of wings there, a long grey-pink curled up _thing_ that might have once been a tongue… they all looked partially digested.  Ignis didn’t have to think hard to know the apex predator right in front of them was the cause.

Gladio was the first to react. 

“Noctis, get behind me!  Prompto, Ignis, save _them_!” He thrust his chin towards the nest and ran towards the giant wasp.  It was Noct who made the first strike, warping in from a great distance to deliver a powerful blow with his blade.  Prompto had his gun out and was raring to get into the fray when Ignis grabbed his arm and ran in the opposite direction – towards the nest.

With Prompto’s gun they managed to dislodge part of the nest from the wall, and Ignis’s knives took care of the rest.  Once the hole was cut into the nest there was a shower of bones and what must have been flesh at one point – now both as dry and lifeless as a rock.  There was no one else alive.

The prisoner must have been acting on autopilot because even though he had been dislodged, his arm was still moving up and down, trying to continue to send his message.  Ignis cut him loose from the rest of the papery fibers and Prompto was trying his best to brush off the sticky remnants.

Ignis glanced at the battle behind him only once.  The wasp was missing a wing and the tip of its stinger had been roughly lopped off.  Gladio had abandoned his sword, or at least it seemed to have gone missing, and he was waving the severed tip of the stinger at the monstrous insect.  Noctis was hanging from the wall, likely searching for the perfect weak point.

It was times like this that Ignis really felt like their group could do anything. They all had their doubts from time to time but seeing Gladio and Noctis battle, seeing them communicate without words or even pausing to attempt a signal, imparted that they really were one true unit.

Gladio must have felt Ignis’s eyes upon him because he turned to face the other man.  Ignis could see the fire in Gladio’s eyes from here, see the exhilaration etched in the very air.  This was a man who fought every battle to the utmost, who would never surrender.  Ignis never knew how much he truly respected the man until that moment, the tight feeling in his chest feeling almost chokingly strong.  _Go_. The eyes said, as clear as if they’d been spoken from the blood-stained lips.  And Ignis did.

Prompto had gotten off what he could from the man and was in the process of trying to force a potion down his throat.  Some must have gotten in because the man’s eyes snapped open and his mouth opened as if to scream in terror.  No sound came out.  Ignis stuffed a sliver of kebab in the gaping mouth (just in case they met some other wasps along the way back to the haven) and picked up the man. He wasn’t very gentle but this situation called for urgency over coddling.

Ignis and Prompto ran back to camp as fast as they could, the man over Ignis’s shoulder bouncing with every step.  It was all Ignis could do to not toss the man into the tent, he was so worried about Noctis and Gladio.  Instead, he crouched down and gently lowered the man to the floor of the tent, Prompto kindly grabbing a pillow to cushion the head.

Prompto must have seen the concern in the older man’s eyes because he grabbed a few curatives from Ignis’s belt and pushed him away.

“Go on, I’ve got this.” And once again, Ignis did.

Gladio was down on one knee, stinger deeply embedded in the wasp’s stomach, when Ignis arrived.  Noctis was charging up the armiger, but that always took time.  The wasp was still hovering over Gladio, feet trying desperately to attack the man but being kept back by the pain of a slow death.  Gladio was covered in ichor, yellow and green and stinky.  Ignis was just about to move forward to help his friend when there was movement at the base of the waterfall and suddenly the rocks began to shift.  The thunder of the pouring water was no longer silent, and a roar filled the area. 

A long tongue snapped out and wrapped itself around the dying wasp’s body. With little more than a rolling of its eyes, the new monster pulled the defeated one into its gaping maw. Gladio had to release the stinger in order not to get dragged in along with it.

It was a gigantoad.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

There was a sound like the shattering of glass and Noctis was back in the action, blade swinging wildly at the baleful eye of the toad.  Nothing seemed to faze the creature, and it simply rolled over in order to protect itself.  However, the long time it had spent resting under the waterfall, water pounding it against the rocks underneath, had created a weak spot.

There, right there on the center of the belly, was a deep gouge.  All they had to do was get close enough to hit that spot and the gigantoad would go down faster than anything.  But the toad seemed to know its weakness and rolled back onto spring-coiled legs.

Ignis readied his daggers and Gladio retrieved his sword from the water and charged ahead.  They both hit the toad at the same time, Ignis’s knives raking across the tough scales at the creature’s back while Gladio brought his great sword down with all his might upon the head.  Neither attack did any significant damage.

Noctis was readying his armiger once more, having not gotten to use it against the wasp.  Glowing, ghost-like weapons rose from inside his body and Noctis attacked with the fury of Kings long past.  That too did no major damage.

They regrouped. The toad just watched them and licked its lips.

“What do we do?” Asked Noctis, panting wildly.  The armiger emerging from his body always drained him and this was the second major battle in only a little while.

“We could continue to attack on the off chance that the gigantoad makes a mistake?” Suggested Ignis although his tone was less than optimistic.

“We do that and we’ll just tire ourselves out. We need a distraction.” Gladio, as usual, was thinking strategically. 

Ignis shrugged, annoyed at himself. Usually he came up with the plans but for some reason his mind was abuzz and he couldn’t concentrate.  Thank the Astrals Gladio was there to pick up the slack.

“How about…” There was a whipping noise and Noct warped away.  The toad had decided to strike, its powerful tongue deciding that Noctis looked the most delicious.  It completely ignored Gladio and Ignis once it had Noct in its sights.

Calling from behind a rock, where the toad couldn’t easily reach, Noctis finished his thought. “How about we cut off the damn tongue first!”

Ignis snapped his fingers, brain finally beginning to work once more.  He grabbed a spell and moved towards the smattering of trees in the area.  “Noctis, use your warp here – your afterimage can trick it!”

Gladio’s eyes narrowed.  He ran towards Ignis and got ready.  Within a moment, Noctis had bounced into view and paused just in front of a thin tree, clearly trying with all his might to resist the urge to immediately dash away.  His patience paid off.  As the tongue shot towards him, he warped away and let it wrap around the tree trunk.  With little fanfare, Ignis drew back his arm and threw a glowing orb inside the mouth while Gladio brought his sword down with all his might, severing it from its host.

There was a shriek of agony as the toad felt the pain from both sources.  Smoke began to stream out of the gasp on the belly.  It was weak.

Noctis had stopped running as soon as the trick had worked but now the gigantoad, furious and likely in the process of dying, was pulling no punches.  It jumped up, a great leap that took it from the side of the waterfall all the way to where Noct was.  The Prince was looking towards Ignis and didn’t see the threat.  Gladio practically blinked from his location to Noct’s, covering the smaller man with his body and thrusting up with all his might.  The toad landed with a sickening crunch.

Ignis felt his heart leap into his throat and he ran to the still smoking corpse, shouting the names of those he feared dead.  There was a crack and suddenly Noctis was beside him, looking stunned.  It appeared he had warped out from under the dead creature, and to Ignis’s quick assessment, looked fine aside from shaken.  Gladio was still trapped, however.

Ignis and Noctis moved, feet now touching a sticky sort of ooze that was pouring out from underneath the dead gigantoad.  There was a pulse and the scaly back shifted. Another push and the point of Gladio’s great sword appeared.  With one final shove and an enraged cry, Ignis saw Gladio emerge from the back of the dead animal, panting from the exertion it took to thrust up and out of such an immense creature.  He pulled himself out of the slime and ick that was now draining out of the corpse at an even faster rate and took the two hands extended towards him, throwing down his sword so he could take them. 

Gladio flopped down into the rushing water, body glistening with a sickening yellow sheen, and laughed.  Noctis looked at Ignis like he thought his Shield had gone crazy.  Ignis didn’t know what to say to either of them.  Gladio spoke first.

“Fucking hells that was a fight!”  He lay back for a couple more moments and then slowly drew himself up.  “Noct, you okay?”

“Me?” Ignis was inclined to agree with Noctis’s incredulous tone. “How the—What the—I didn’t get sat on by a giant, slimy frog!”

_Toad. Gigantoad.  Hint’s in the name._ Ignis thought to himself without a second thought.  It was not the time.

“Yeah, yeah, that wasn’t cool… but you’re okay, right?”

“I’m fucking fantastic, Gladio.  You saved my life!” Noctis reached out to pull Gladio into a bear hug but pulled back at the last moment.  “Also, you’re gross.”

“Hmm, yup. Can’t argue with that.” Gladio hummed as he brought up his arms and Ignis couldn’t help but notice how skintight everything had become. Every muscle was clearly visible, brought even more violently to life by the fact that Gladio was covered in slime that seemed to be… melting off the organic parts of Gladio’s clothing?

“Well that sucks.” Gladio said, seeing Ignis’s gaze and looking down at himself in disgust.  “I really liked this jacket.”

Said jacket was rapidly becoming thinner and thinner and in a few minutes Ignis was worried there might be nothing standing between Ignis and Gladio’s naked body other than fresh air.  He twitched in… something. Discomfort? Expectation?

In any case, Gladio needed clothing.  With the rapidly growing bulge that was visible out of the corner of Ignis’s eye, he suspected that if they didn’t move quickly, both he and Noctis would be getting even more of an eyeful. 

It happened to them all at one point or another. Sometimes the rush of adrenaline and blood felt like there was nowhere to go back down.  Usually Ignis at least was wearing enough clothing to conceal that fact…

“Let us get back to camp.” Ignis chose to say instead, intentionally facing away from Gladio so Noctis’s eyes would be drawn to a safer target. “We should see how Prompto and our poor escaped captive are getting along.”

“You guys go.”

“Pardon me?” Ignis felt his eyes drawn back to Gladio, now facing away from the both of them.

“I need to wash this shit off.”

“The stream continued down past our camp, Gladio.  Surely you cannot be thinking that remaining here alone is safe?” Ignis couldn’t believe what he was hearing. And to think he was ready to praise the man’s clear-headedness.

Gladio swung his arm around, motioning towards the rest of the cleaning. “There is nothing else here. Not even a rabbit, or a damn gnat.  Those two giant motherfuckers ate everything. If anything, I’m safer here. Besides, I haven’t had a shower with water pressure this good since, well, ever.”

Ignis levelled a _look_ at the man, one of his patented ‘no, death is not preferable to scurvy’ winning moves against Noctis but it was returned in kind with a healthy smile.  There was a face-off of sorts that likely only lasted a short while but felt like forever to Ignis.  Seeing he wasn’t going to win this battle, he sniffed in irritation.

“Fine.  I will be back to check up on you and bring you some new clothing.”

“Thanks Iggy!”  There was a sort of gloating tone to Gladio’s voice so as Ignis pulled a very confused (regular confusion, not chemically induced) Noctis further downstream, he couldn’t resist adding one final point.

“You’d better hurry to that waterfall, Gladiolus, else your clothing might not be the only thing ‘falling off’.”  There was a rather undignified yelp (that Gladio would swear wasn’t him when questioned later) and the sound of someone large running through shallow water.

Ignis smirked the whole way back to the campsite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to the following:  
> Sauronix for reading my drafts and not letting my whining bother them.  
> nocturnal_raine for finding me a recipeh that fit my plot when my when fingers were useless at Google.  
> Yuneyn for loving Promptis so much that I succumbed and added a few lines just for her.
> 
> If you like this fic, please let me know! Errors or inconsistencies may be lying around, please let me know if you find any glaring ones!  
> Thanks for reading my fic and even if you don't comment or kudos, I appreciate the attention. <3!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW starts in this chapter.

 

It had been a long time since Gladio had been alone – really, completely by himself.  He didn’t count those times when Noctis fell asleep on him in the car and Ignis and Prompto abandoned them.  He also didn’t count when they had their separate tents (Noctis with Prompto, of course) and Ignis ducked out to take a leak. 

Now he felt free, like he could take a deep breath of air that hadn’t already passed through someone else’s lungs, and just _relax_.

Hells, the guys were great. Honestly.  Ignis could be a bit of a buzzkill sometimes but Gladio knew he didn’t do it on purpose.  Just had a huge stick up his ass.  Sometimes Gladio felt like offering to remove it.  That, at least, would bring colour to Ignis’s cheeks and fire to his eyes and oh man, Gladio just lived for the times when Ignis stopped being so concerned with everyone else and focused on being himself.

Noct and Prompto? Well, those two were a whole ‘nother matter.  He cared about them, he really did, but they really sucked ass at being subtle.  That was the whole reason for the two tent deal they had going on for the past little while. 

He and Ignis had gone out to forage for some root and had left the other two alone for about an hour.  Then Ignis decided he needed something from the tent so Gladio had to trudge back (okay, so he offered but still) and get it.  He’d almost walked in on a _very_ private moment and oh Gods he had to stop thinking about it because then the _noises_ wouldn’t leave his head.

He didn’t tell anyone, not the boys and not even Ignis.  There were some things that should remain between… best friends.  The bestest of best friends.  Shit, in a way he was actually kinda jealous.

Anyway.  Being alone was great, especially since Gladio knew he wouldn’t be interrupted for a good long time.  Ignis and Noctis were on their way back to camp and yeah, sure, it wasn’t too far away but Ignis was the closest thing to a mother-figure Noctis had (Gladio didn’t mean it in a creepy way, just that… Ignis took care of Noct – really watched over him and all) and he wouldn’t leave an injured man to suffer at Prompto’s less than skilled hands.  Well, less than skilled at healing, in any case.  Noct would be the one to ask about anything else.

SO yeah, Gladio figured he had some time.  With the help of the giant wasp and its murderous slimy friend, there was absolutely no other life in the vicinity.  Gladio could probably sun himself for a few hours and no mosquitoes would even be around to take the bait.  And besides, Gladio really needed to get naked and have some uninterrupted alone time.  His body was tingling in all the wrong places and with all his clothing having disintegrated, he was sure not interested in keeping this sticky, yellow ooze on his body any longer than necessary.  He really didn’t want Ignis’s prediction to come true, he still had unfinished business to attend to.

Potentially with said buzzkill.  If he got lucky.

… thank the Gods he had an excellent imagination.  Real life rarely panned out the way he wanted it to.

Gladio sighed and moved closer to the waterfall, allowing the water to pound at his head and back, no longer content with just the misty spray.  His skin tingled in a pleasant sort of way, oddly enough, but he didn’t want to leave the ooze on any longer than necessary.  Maybe this was a weird chemical reaction that would just feel good and then fade away.  It was also possible it was like the calm before a storm and his skin would start sloughing off.

Slippery as the base of the waterfall was, Gladio was happy to find that the rocks were all smooth.  Either the falls had worn them down or the gigantoad’s hard scales had rubbed against them so much they were no longer sharp. 

Eating the wasp, giving Gladio a reason to be alone, smoothing down tripping hazards… he supposed the toad actually had been pretty helpful.

Gladio used his nails as much as possible, trying to scrape off the gunk that had hardened onto his skin.  The pressure at his back meant that nothing would still be clinging but he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to introduce his face to the equivalent of a watery fist.  Not to mention his junk – he abused it enough already, he didn’t want to tempt fate and let it be pounded into oblivion.

Not that being pounded into oblivion sounded bad, necessarily, but he would have preferred a person do that.

His adrenaline rush was wearing off and exhaustion was starting to set in.  And, yup, he was still as hard as the rocks at his feet.  There was just something about escaping death, and doing your job damn well (in this case, preventing Noct from being swallowed and digested by an amphibian) that brought a bit of a bounce to his step. Gladio wasn’t a thrill-seeker but danger seemed to follow Noctis at every turn.  More often than not he ended a battle with a boner and had to either excuse himself or try and ignore it.  The constant edging had him, well, on edge.

Not to mention the fact that Ignis had been staring at him, those sharp eyes of his looking him over.  Gladio wanted to pretend that the other man liked what he saw.  That maybe, just maybe, if Noct hadn’t been around then Ignis would have opened that pretty mouth for more than just mothering with a side of sass.  Gladio wasn’t too big of a man to admit that being stared at, his every asset on display (thanks again to the gross crap that was being a bitch about coming off) turned him on. 

If he had asked for Ignis’s company, requested some help in getting _it_ off, would Ignis have accepted?  Would he have ignored the appeal? Would he have looked annoyed at the idea?  In all the time that Gladio had known the man, Ignis had never shown any interest in dating or physical companionship.  Being an advisor to Noctis, responsible for the kid since he could barely walk, didn’t leave much time for socialization but…  Sometimes Gladio wondered where his interests lay.

There was a heavy sort of feeling from below and Gladio knew that he was getting even harder.  He knew Ignis was the cause.  He also knew he shouldn’t think of the man in this way, least of all because Ignis seemed to treat Gladio was respect and kindness, aside from the occasional snark that slipped past his defenses.  Was it rude to fantasize about your friend, especially since it was likely he was straight or at least possibly asexual? 

Gladio felt dirty and tried to ignore the dull heat that was sparking below.  The chemical reaction was making things worse, it had to be.

He continued to scrub at his face, wishing he had a bar of soap or some of that face stuff that Noct used to keep his face clean.  Who was he kidding, it was probably Prompto’s – that guy had a perpetual baby-face. He’d probably be looking better on his deathbed than Gladio ever did in his youth.  But the guy had had a hard life, he deserved every bit of happiness he could get, especially if it made Gladio’s job of protecting Noct even easier. 

It had been a while since Gladio had been left alone.  Even with Ignis taking care of the injured guy he should be coming back soon, right?  Hopefully he’d be bringing a towel because as much as Gladio loved drying off in the nude, he didn’t think staring at Ignis would help the thickness between his legs at all.  But he knew the advisor well – he’d probably be coming back with a full pack of supplies including a towel and hairbrush and fuzzy slippers.  At least he wouldn’t sneak up on Gladio, he’d definitely announce himself.  He never wanted to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

And there was still (relative) silence.  So Gladio figured he still had some time.  His hard-on was gooey and sticky and he had to get it clean too.  The vigorous rubbing could only make things worse, so Gladio decided to kill two birds with one stone.

Ignis wasn’t here and he was hard as fuck.  Continuing to ignore it would just make matters worse and he might as well just shove Ignis against a rock and grind because being horny did not make him subtle.  He didn’t want to turn into Noct and Prompto with all their sweet smiles and ‘accidental’ touches… They were fooling nobody but he kinda wished he could be as open as them about his affections. 

Gladio grabbed his shaft and started to stroke.  There wasn’t actually a lot of the slime to wash off because he had two layers of clothing to dissolve through instead of the one on his upper body.  But there were flecks of yellow that still made the effort, and Gladio really, really didn’t want to think about if he didn’t find it all.  He would just have to be extra thorough. 

His mind turned to what it usually did when he decides to beat-off: Ignis.  It was almost an obsession at this point.  At first Gladio had tried to think of someone else – anyone else.  Faceless people with amazing bodies, men or women, he didn’t care. But inevitably the breasts would firm up into a familiar lithe male frame.  Even the fantasy men wouldn’t be safe from his imagination, their hair colour would change and their features would sharpen into Ignis’s.  After a while Gladio just accepted it and took his pleasure whatever way he could.  Besides, no one knew what he was thinking of and if someone found out, well, he’d deal with that when the time came.

Gladio longed to have something inside of him, but passed over that thought in an instant.  If Ignis did decide to come by, he could explain away the masturbation (or even hide in the waterfall) but he would have a much harder time justifying a finger in his ass.  He usually topped, hells, he thought he was straight for most of his life, but the thought of Ignis taking _him._ Marking him. Loving him.  It filled his belly with such a fire that when it popped into his mind ages ago, he’d come harder than he’d ever thought possible.  And so the craving began.

He tugged at his cock, pulling and squeezing the length until he’d thickened nicely, cockhead a deep red colour.  Gladio would have been impressed with the amount of fluids leaking out but he didn’t spare much of a thought; he was running out of time.  Or at least he was horny as fuck and wanted to come before his chance was gone.

He pictured Ignis on his knees, mouth—no, that didn’t work.  Ignis was no one’s bitch.  If anything, once he knew how much Gladio wanted him, he’d probably have pushed Gladio to the ground.  Okay, so maybe Ignis wasn’t actually that dominant but this was his fantasy, dammit.

Ignis was a strategist.  He was smart, good with his hands and his mouth.  He’d shove Gladio up against a wall, hand down the larger man’s pants, and jack him off while he whispered a dirty play-by-play of the events unfolding.

Gladio let the dream take hold, and fell back against the rock to his side, back sliding down a few inches when it touched the worn surface.  He splayed his legs, one hand fingering his cock while the other massaged his balls.

 

**

Ignis must know how much Gladio wanted this.  The heady smell of Gladio’s arousal was in the air. He licked his lips and leaning into Gladio, one hand cupping Gladio’s chin.  He forced Gladio to look him in the eyes before skimming his fingertips over the bulge in Gladio’s tight pants.

_Someone’s excited to see me._

Gladio swallowed, tongue flicking out to lick suddenly dry lips as Ignis spoke.  His voice was rough with lust and Gladio knew it was all for him.

_Have you been waiting long?_

Gladio’s lips were claimed in a kiss, soft lips moving against his own in a dance that neither wanted to end.  A tongue flicked out, demanding entrance, and Gladio opened willingly.  Teeth caught on his lower lip, playfully, and Ignis thanked Gladio by popping the button to his pants.  The zipper was next, Gladio could feel it against his cock, a slight chill that crept slowly down.  Then he was exposed and Ignis’s fingers were manipulating him with an experience that only came from years of practice.

_You won’t last long._

Gladio moaned and pulled back from Ignis’s lips and slammed his head back against the wall.  It should have hurt, but Gladio had been waiting for release for so long he felt nothing except the hand on his cock. 

Gladio felt feverish.  With his head back, it opened up his neck and Ignis took full advantage, peppering Gladio’s jawline with heated kisses.  The hand below was stroking faster, leading Gladio down the path to completion.  The air was filled with the sound of Gladio’s panting, stark contrast to Ignis’s measured breaths. 

Ignis’s hand was already slick with Gladio’s pre-come, and the lewd noises it made as it swept up and down turned Gladio on even further.  He didn’t have to look at Ignis to see the man was just as turned on as him.  But Ignis always let Gladio come first, taking as much pleasure in seeing his lover come undone as when he came himself.

Gladio didn’t think he would last long.  The scar on Ignis’s palm kept brushing over his cockhead which forced Gladio to bite his lip to keep from moaning even louder.  A finger pressed into the weeping head, fingering the slit, and Gladio almost forgot to breathe.

_You’re so close._

And he was.  He wanted to thrust into that scarred palm, wanted to pull Ignis’s mouth down to his chest and let him nip at the sensitive nipples there, wanted to—

**

 

There was a cracking sound, audible even over the roar of the waterfall and Gladio’s eyes snapped open.  He moved out from where he was, retreated slightly until only the mist was touching his body.  He released his cock and it swung up and slapped him in the belly, leaving a smear that was soon washed away by the mist.

 _Fuck!  And he was so close._   Even now he could feel his balls tight, fire thrumming through his veins.  Was Ignis here already?

“Ignis?” Gladio called out. His voice echoed.  There was no response.

“Anyone there?”  He yelled, this time a little louder.  Gladio wasn’t too worried if it were a monster, his sword lay where he had tossed it, close enough for a quick duck and roll to carry him to it. It shimmered as it lay half in the water.  He’d have to oil it later so ensure there was no lasting damage.

The clearing was silent.

Gladio was still suspicious but a more pressing need was quickly reminding him of its presence.  He realized that he had to hurry up and unfortunately that meant fantasy Ignis would have to do him hard and fast.  He returned to the water, facing away from where Ignis should be appearing, and moved to finish.

 

**

_There never is enough time, is there?_

Fantasy Ignis was jerking Gladio hard and fast, thumb pressing into the bundle of nerves near the tip of Gladio’s cock.  Gladio could feel his balls tighten even more, and threaten to finish him.  Ignis’s pace was punishing but it felt so damn good Gladio couldn’t think of anything he wanted more in this moment.

_I love you, Gladiolus._

Gladio’s eyes had been shut but they shot open with this statement, heated amber staring into deep green.  Honest eyes. Caring eyes.  Sexy as fuck eyes.

He let himself be drawn back into Ignis’s embrace. Soft fingers brought their mouths closer and lips pressed back in.  Ignis swallowed the noises Gladio made as he came.

It was hard, it was fast, and it was amazing in every way… except for not being real.

**

 

Thick creamy ropes spread out over the water, eddies from the current tearing them apart as they vanished downstream. Gladio spared a moment to hope that no one was washing their hands anytime soon. Or gathering water for cooking.  Oh well, there was enough current, with any luck no one would ever know what had happened at the falls.

Gladio rinsed himself off and double-checked to see that all the yellow ick was gone.  Satisfied, he looked around.

Just where the fuck was Ignis?

Even though Gladio had just experienced a pretty mind-blowing hand job, he was annoyed with Ignis.  Both of them.  Fantasy Ignis had said the L word… did that mean that Gladio really wanted that? Isn’t that how a fantasy worked?  He’d never really thought about it that way, but his subconscious seemed intent on making him consider it.

And real Ignis was taking his dear sweet time caring for the ex-wasp-chow guy.  Gladio wasn’t really looking forward to trudging back to camp in the buff but at least he was calmer now.  He moved to the edge of the pool and was just about to head downstream when a flash of colour at the corner of his eye stopped him in his tracks.

There, sitting on a rounded boulder far enough away from the gushing water not to be wet, was a towel.  It was forest green.  He didn’t remember seeing it before which meant that Ignis must have bought it for him at some point, and remembered what Gladio’s favourite colour was.  Beside the folded up towel was a spare set of clothing and some boots, along with a container of what looked like leftover kebab.  Good old Ignis, forever taking precautions.

Gladio leaned against the rock and began to dry himself.  It was only when he was pulling up his pants that something hit him.

When had Ignis showed up to drop this off?  And why didn’t Ignis say anything when he arrived?

The only reason Ignis would be quiet was if he… Shit. Fuck. Fucking shit _FUCK._   Did Ignis show up when he was beating off?  Did Ignis see him?  Or did he show up a lot sooner than expected and miss all the action?

… Gladio had to admit that while he was embarrassed as shit, the thought of Ignis spying on him – maybe even getting hard? – turned him on a fuckton.  But Gladio didn’t know for sure, didn’t know if maybe he was reading too much into Ignis’s silence.  Maybe the man just didn’t want to disturb him? Maybe he’d dropped off the supplies because he had to rush back? Maybe he thought Gladio was disgusting and didn’t want to spare him another thought?  That last one hurt.

Still. The idea that Ignis might have caught Gladio touching himself… No.  He had to stop this.  Firstly, it would probably get him hard again and he needed to get back to the others.  Also he didn’t need his mind to give his daydreams any more to go on.  There was probably a perfectly logical explanation for Ignis doing what he did.

Gladio banished the stray thoughts from his mind and gathered up his sword before making his way back down to the haven.

He could smell the camp before he arrived; Ignis must have decided to cook something else.  As he walked up the ramp he spotted Noctis first, spooning something from the stove into a large dish and walking back, carefully, to his tent.  Prompto was there to hold the flaps open and Gladio could see their invalid sitting up now, bandages wrapped around his rather plump body.  Prompto waved at Gladio and gestured with his phone to indicate they’d talk later.  Noctis was too preoccupied to say anything to Gladio but he probably knew his Shield was around.

That only left one person.

Ignis was standing at the stove, still stirring the pot that Noct had taken the meal from.  He added a few dashes of something from his spice jars, not content to just let the group eat bland food.  Gladio knew Ignis didn’t love cooking, but he took great pride in doing it because it was something the rest of the group enjoyed.  Seeing them happy made him happy.

Gladio ambled up the last few feet to the flat surface of the camp.  Ignis looked content, his eyes betrayed nothing, as he continued stirring the pot.

“Hey,” Gladio began, “Thanks for bringing my stuff.”

Ignis’s eyes flicked towards Gladio but he didn’t say anything, he just nodded and smiled.

Try as he might, Gladio couldn’t bring up the nerve to ask Ignis if or what he had seen so he settled for leaning his sword against a chair. Then he moved towards his tent to get his oils and rags for cleaning his slightly water-logged weapon.

Gladio took his place around the campfire and placed his sword across his knees.  He soon grew absorbed in his work, cleaning out the dirt and polishing every inch of his hefty blade.  There was a bowl of food placed in front of him and he nodded his thanks, intent on completing his task.

He could feel Ignis’s eyes on him many times throughout that afternoon and evening but every time Gladio looked up, Ignis was busy working on something.

When night finally hit and all the group had eaten their fill– including the injured man who was now looking much better – Ignis was the first to retire for the night. Gladio watched him approach their shared tent. 

Ignis spared one last glance towards Gladio, and Gladio could see his eyes widen with surprise when he saw Gladio was already staring at him.  Ignis then disappeared into the tent without a word.

That pretty much settled it in Gladio’s mind. 

Ignis had seen him. 

And if that light flush on Ignis’s face was real and not the result of shadows from the dancing campfire flames… he couldn’t look at Gladio without remembering.

Gladio was tired. He would have to sleep soon, and in the same tent as Ignis.

This was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this far! Hopefully you're enjoying yourselves. :3 As always, thanks for commenting and/or kudos-ing if you choose to do so. And if you find any horrific mistakes, please let me know. I'm not the best editor so I'm sure there are many ... interesting words or phrases. xD
> 
> Next chapter is Ignis's POV. Just what is going through his mind right now, hmmmmm??


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just saying, I love these guys. <3

Ignis couldn’t sleep. 

The voices outside were loud and rowdy. No one else appeared to be sleepy, not even Alin (the man they had rescued) and although Ignis couldn’t see outside his tent, he suspected that a card game was the source of their amusement. 

Hopefully it was Noctis and not Prompto that suggested the activity.  Noct at least would be less inclined to suggest strip poker.  The blond had an unhealthy obsession with the game and the young Prince seemed to have extremely bad luck for he almost always ended up naked.

There was a loud bark of laughter from outside.  Gladio.  He seemed to be having a great time, for which Ignis was thankful. The longer the game went the more time he’d have to think.  And he needed to think. Badly.

This afternoon had not gone as planned.  When Ignis had returned to the campsite with Noctis, Prompto had been overjoyed that no harm had come to his best friend.  Alin was asleep and so Prompto was able to devote his full attention Noctis and immediately undressed him to check for wounds.  As Ignis ducked into his tent to gather Gladio’s extra set of clothing, he could see how close Prompto held Noct.  It must be nice to have someone to care about you so much.  Noct was lucky to have such a good friend.

Ignis had also grabbed a new towel – one that he picked up specifically for Gladio when they had last stopped in Lestallum.  Gladio didn’t know anything about it, Ignis had wanted it to be a surprise because, as insignificant a gift as it was, Ignis figured it would be much more appreciated than Gladio’s current holey mess of a towel.

As an afterthought he also brought the remaining chunk of kebab, just in case the wasps in the area realized their Queen was gone and decided to return in force.

Ignis had just rounded the crest of the hill when he spotted Gladio.  He had planned to give a biting remark or two about the dangers of being alone in the wilderness, whether or not it appeared to be safe.  The words were on the tip of his tongue. Gladio had a duty to their Prince, he couldn’t be taking risks willy-nilly, not without thinking everything through at first.

He opened his mouth, about to call out to Gladio to inform the man of his presence when he saw… 

He had seen Gladio naked before, fleetingly, many times over the years.  He admitted the Shield had good form, the rippling muscles that extended over his entire body proved that he was not a man to be trifled with.  Ignis could barely see Gladio through the heavy shower that poured over him, just the vague hint of colour and a shadowy bird.

But then Gladio had backed out of the falls and slammed against the rock wall beside him.  Ignis thought at first he was injured.

He needn’t have worried.

Ignis couldn’t hear anything and, from this distance, could not see more than vague motions, but that was enough.  Gladio was touching himself.  And from the looks of it, eyes closed and mouth agape, he was really enjoying it.

Ignis knew he should leave, knew he should not be looking at his friend during such a private activity… but he couldn’t pull his eyes away.  Like a moth to a flame, he was drawn to the picture before him and actually had to stop his body from moving towards the other man.

There was a boulder near the side of the pool and Ignis darted over behind it, fully intent on just leaving Gladio’s gear there and then, at an opportune moment, announcing his presence.  He glanced around the edge of the rock, quick enough so that even if he was looking this way, Gladio would be unable to see him. 

Instead, Ignis felt like he had been side-swiped by a behemoth, like Bahamut himself had sliced him down the center and torn his lungs asunder. It was like all the air had been sucked out of the world in that instant.

Gladio was, _Astrals above_ , the most gorgeous sight he had ever seen.  It was like a switch had been flipped in his brain.  He knew it was wrong, he knew he should be looking away but the thought of turning around and not seeing Gladio in all his glory was physically painful.

Ignis had never felt anything like this before, this sudden and absolute _lust_ for the man before him.  In all the years leading up to this moment, Ignis had never looked at Gladio, or even another man, with anything other than mild interest.  He could see why men were attractive, aesthetically, but there was no passion, no desire behind his thoughts. 

As time wore on, he even lost most of his interest in women, choosing instead to devote himself to his work.  Being at Noctis’s side every moment of every day made finding a partner more than a little impossible.  And so he had resigned himself to being alone, and after years of that, it didn’t really bother him anymore.  As long as he had his friends, he could would never endure the bitter taste of loneliness.

But now… this felt like a thirst that even drinking the whole ocean wouldn’t quench.  There was a blaze of heat from below, and Ignis reached down, curious, to find that he was hard.  It seemed like such an alien sensation, so long had it been since Ignis had felt it.

Ignis had no experience with men, his few companions in the past being female and older than him.  He’d had sex, had and been given pleasure on many levels, but always felt like something was missing.  The contact was just… okay.

The women he had been with were experienced enough, he knew they tried their best, but Ignis just… didn’t particularly enjoy himself.  It was boring.  And since he was the Prince’s advisor, it was hard to find someone to experiment with who hadn’t seen him at some point in the past. It was unpleasant and far too awkward for his liking, especially when his own hand would suffice.

When the urge did hit him, rare as it was, Ignis didn’t require any fantasy.  He merely grabbed himself and stroked until completion.  It felt good but he didn’t make a habit out of it, even more now that he was with his three closest friends.  Sharing a tent with Gladio while the other two slept not far away… it wasn’t the best environment for self-play.

But now… Ignis felt like he needed to touch himself, like this heat in his belly would burn a hole right through his body if he didn’t extinguish it.  What was wrong with him?

He wanted to look again, see everything Gladio was doing, and hoped above all reason that this time he would feel nothing. Maybe his desires were just a fluke, he hadn’t had an orgasm for many weeks after all… Maybe remaining pent up was bad for his health.  He placed a hand over the stiffness in his pants and willed it to vanish.

He peeked around the rock.  Even with the spray hitting his glasses and painting them with droplets, he couldn’t have seen more clearly if he tried.  Gladio had slid further down the wall, face a mask of indescribable emotion.  He stroked his arousal in such a way that Ignis was afraid he might hurt himself; that Ignis felt he should offer his assistance, unexperienced as it was, just to save Gladio the pain.

Ignis could see everything, the tense muscles of Gladio’s stomach, the deep black of the tattoo shaking with every mighty thrust Gladio made into his hand, his arousal red and thick and heavy—

There was a twinge of bliss and Ignis realized his hand had tightened, squeezing his own erection.  It pulsed with every twitch of his fingers.  The heat was blazing out of control, he could feel it clearly though his pants.  And there was a damp patch beginning to appear that Ignis didn’t think he could easily blame on the mist dancing around him.

As much as Ignis wanted to watch, to etch Gladio’s every movement and expression into his mind forever, the sentient part of his mind knew that – likely soon – Gladio would be finished.  And when he was finished, he would come looking for Ignis.  If he came around the rock and saw… well, what would he see?  His friend hiding, hand over the crotch of his pants, face flushed pink, and breathing heavily.  That would not be easy to explain.  No, he had to return to camp. He had to settle down.  He had to… do something – anything – to get away from Gladio.

Ignis moved out of the water, trying to find some solid ground.  The footsteps he made in the water weren’t loud, but he didn’t want to give Gladio even the smallest chance of hearing him.

He stepped over a large branch and, in his haste, didn’t see its twin in front of him until it was too late.  His foot came down hard and the branch split in half, violent crack echoing across the whole area.  Ignis stopped like he’d been struck by lightning, and hoped that Gladio wouldn’t come to investigate.  From where he was now, Ignis couldn’t see where his friend was… he only hoped he would stay away.

“Ignis?” A lust-deepened voice called out.  Ignis could picture Gladio now, naked and aroused… and maybe even angry that he’d been interrupted. 

“Anyone there?” Gladio continued.  Ignis remained silent but crouched lower, hoping that if Gladio did come around the rock that he wouldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Gladio didn’t call out again and Ignis gave himself another minute of silence before creeping, carefully this time, over the branches and leaves - towards the haven.  He refused to look back at Gladio, certain that if he did he wouldn’t have the strength to run away with his figurative tail between his legs.

When Ignis returned, Noctis was sitting on a chair beside the campfire, staring at his phone.  Prompto was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey.” Noct looked up from his phone long enough to issue his usual greeting.

“Hello yourself.  How is our man doing?” Ignis hoped he didn’t look at flustered as he felt and for once was overjoyed with Noctis’s lack of focus.

“Name’s Alin. He’s fine, mostly.”

“Good to hear.” Ignis set about making a meal, choosing it at random out of his notebook.  He needed to calm his mind down and cooking was the best way he had found to do so. 

“Prompto kicked me out of our tent. Said I was being noisy.” Noctis huffed at his screen, still not looking Ignis’s way.

Ignis was proud of the blond.  There were times that he seemed flighty, too bubbly for his own good, but then there were the times when he really stepped up and proved how lucky the team was to have him.

“If you’re tired you can sleep in my tent.” Ignis offered over his shoulder.  “I will not be needing it for a while so you would be undisturbed.”

“Naw, it‘s cool. Prom said he’ll make it up to me later.”

“Ah.” The conversation lapsed into a peaceful sort of silence as Ignis cooked something on the stove.  He was on autopilot so he didn’t even know what it was.  Ah well, as long as there was enough for five people it hardly mattered.  No one would dare complain about free food.  Well, perhaps Noctis.  Hopefully Prompto would ready his devilish tongue and convince Noct to do the right thing like he had before.

When Gladio finally arrived Ignis did everything in his power to avoid meeting Gladio’s eyes incase the man saw deep into his soul and realized what Ignis had done.  He spent the remainder of the day playing chicken, and peered at Gladio when the man was preoccupied.  He wondered if Gladio could feel his heated gaze. 

After everyone had calmed down for the evening and Ignis felt his services were no longer required, he begged off doing the dishes (uncommon enough, but no one mentioned that) and went to his tent.  He couldn’t resist one last look back at the man who had caused his heart such distress.  Curious amber eyes stared into his own and, with a mild amount of surprise, Ignis tore himself away and threw himself into the tent.

And now, hours later, he was still awake.  He was still unable to silence his troubled mind.  And he dreaded the moment when Gladio would arrive and question him.  Ignis couldn’t lie, not to Gladio, not ever. 

Gladio... Even saying the man’s name brought a smile to Ignis’s lips. What was happening?

Was it just physical attraction?  Ignis never thought of himself as a shallow man, only judging someone by their outward appearance.  Was his sudden interest in Gladio only in the flesh?  Or had he been lying to himself all this while, considering Gladio a good friend when in actuality wanting even more.  It was a conundrum, and for once, a puzzle that Ignis was not keen to solve. 

If it was only physical, how could he look Gladio in the eye ever again?  Enjoying someone for their body was hardly an uncommon event, but this was Gladiolus.  They were always together.  Would Gladio feel uncomfortable around him?  Would he start to avoid Ignis?  And even the idea that Gladio would be, should be angry with him for that… it hurt his heart and his head to even consider.

But what if it wasn’t just his body, but his heart and soul that attracted Ignis?  The nudity could have just been a catalyst, one final barrier he had to break through to realize his true feelings.  … That sounded much more like one of Gladio’s favored romance novels but the sentiment could still be accurate none the less.

He did not know the answer to his question and if there was one thing Ignis hated, it was uncertainty.

Ignis had an idea. It wasn’t a very good one, but his mind wasn’t working at full capacity at the moment anyway.  He listened to the noises outside – still loud with no indication of stopping anytime soon.  Perfect.

Ignis dug out his phone and thought for a moment before tapping an address into the search bar. He made sure to turn on his filter – he did not want anyone finding his search history from this evening.

The page loaded up slowly, the net moving much more slowly out here than in the city.  Pictures of scantily-clad women began to pop up on the screen.  Ignis let his free hand drift down his belly as he scanned the images, hoping for the magic one that would suddenly help his situation.

Red hair, blonde hair, black hair… there were so many women.  Different ethnicities as well.  One caught his eye, a beautiful dark-skinned woman with kohl accentuating her eyes and Ignis thought he felt a stir of interest from below.  But no, that didn’t work either because when he continued to look at her all he could see was that her hair looked similar to Gladio’s. 

Ignis sighed and moved down the rest of the page.  No matter how intently he stared at the naked flesh, nothing seemed to make him aroused in the slightest.  Slightly disappointed, he pressed the back button and erased a giant pair of breasts from his screen.  He was about to put his phone away when he realized he was only half done.  He typed another selection into the browser and waited.

The next page was full of masculine visages – tight muscles paired with arousals so large they must have been visually enhanced.  But still, there was no desire.

Had he been cursed?  How was it possible that neither men nor women aroused him at all?

He thumbed the home screen button to check the time.  Nestled behind all of the icons was a group picture of the four of them, taken at Hammerhead.  He had seen it so often that the image was imprinted in his brain.  But when he looked at the picture now, his eyes were drawn to only one person: Gladio.

Everyone looked so happy in that picture, so innocent.  That was before they all found out about Insomnia, about all the death and destruction and… more tears had been shed that night than Ignis had ever thought possible.  Gladio had been the rock that they all needed. 

When the boys had finally gone to sleep, numbed by their grief, Ignis had felt too cold to move.  He hadn’t shed a single tear all night, trying to remain brave for Noctis’s sake.  But when Gladio came up behind and pulled him into his chest… Ignis ended up falling asleep against a tear-soaked shirt with warm arms around him.

They had never spoken about that moment again and Ignis didn’t even know why it came to mind now.  Perhaps because he knew, deep down, that Gladio was not just an alluring man, but a compassionate one as well.  Was he trying to reason with himself, to determine the truth behind his attraction?

Fine. Gladio was handsome, kind, and strong.  But so were a great many other people who were not his friends and who he did not have to share a tent with.

But, and his mind just kept going, Gladio wasn’t just those things. He was intelligent as well. Some people – more than Ignis likely knew about – thought the Shield was just that, a buffer between the Prince and his public.  But he was so much more.  The Shield was supposed to be strong and imposing, but he also had to think strategically and plan for all contingencies.  If you paired a physically fit but idiotic Shield with a King you had, in the long run, a dead King.  If you had a weak-bodied yet strong-minded man with a King… you still had a dead King.  There needed to be some balance.

Gladio passed every criteria with flying colours, in Ignis’s opinion.

Just last month while Noctis and Prompto were racing their chocobos across the plains in Duscae, Ignis was picking herbs for their dinner.  So absorbed by his task he hardly noticed when a shadow loomed above him and plucked a leaf from his fingers. 

There was a low rumble of laughter as Gladio examined the plant he held in his fingers.  Ignis had stood up, annoyed at being interrupted.  Even now he could recall their exact conversation.

“Oh Iggy, you really don’t want to be puttin’ this in our food.”

“Whatever are you talking about?” Ignis had bristled, not used to someone else encroaching into his territory.  Food was his domain.

“Look at the tips.” And, when Ignis stared blankly, Gladio continued with only a slight roll of his eyes.  “They’re purple.” He emphasized, flicking the edge with a nail.

“Indeed, Gladio. Quite lovely. I’m sure your father would be proud of your deduction.” Ignis had snapped back. Not eating at regular times made him grouchy, a fact that regularly embarrassed him after the fact.

Gladio hadn’t been offended, just amused. “He would, actually, especially since this leaf is rare and relatively unknown.  But sure, go ahead and cook with it – just don’t be expecting any sympathy when you get horny enough to bone the next flan to jiggle in front of you.”

Ignis had ignored the larger man as he walked away, and shoved the leaf in his pocket out of… spite, perhaps?  It wasn’t that he was unable to take criticism, but for some reason that day he was overly sensitive.  He had even snapped at Prompto.  He was immediately sorry when the blond’s great blue went wide and his smiled cracked a little.  Apologies were issued and Ignis promised himself he would not react without thinking again.

He had looked up the leaf Gladio had warned him about, the internet being a marvelous place, and was somehow surprised and yet not to discover Gladio was correct.  An aphrodisiac as powerful as this would have been, in their tight-knit group… extremely dangerous.

But there he was all over again, Gladio that is, helping everyone without expecting a single thank you in return.

Back in the present Ignis felt something stirring.  There was no denying it now, he was definitely attracted to Gladiolus.  And he hadn’t even been thinking of anything below the belt!  It seemed that what he lacked with previous partners, he had with Gladio.  An emotional connection.  He was impressed by not only the brawn, but the brain as well.  Who would have guessed?

He wanted to touch himself—no, he ached to do so.  He wanted to know if it felt any different, to pleasure yourself with someone specific in mind, someone who lit your very soul ablaze.  It was a dramatic statement but Ignis couldn’t help but feel enlightened by his revelations.  Half of him was giddy while the other half was understandably cautious, not wanting this sudden happiness to turn to misery if Gladio found out and didn’t share his interest.

Ignis was, if nothing else, practical.  He knew Gladio was interested in women – it would be hard not to notice such a thing. However, Ignis also knew that all humans were not always tied down by such concrete generalizations and if anyone were to digress, it would be Gladio.

Ignis would wait and see what the future unveiled before making any assumptions.

There was a creaking sound from outside – someone had gotten up from their chair.  Heavy footsteps sounded as they came closer, the campfire causing a shadow to loom ominously across the tent face.

“I’m calling it a night. Noct, Prompto, don’t play too hard – don’t want to be cleaning up after you like last time.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Gladio, we’ll act like adults.” Came Noctis’s voice, sulky words belayed by his elated tone.

“Don’t leave _yours_ on the ground and I’ll be plenty happy.”

There was a bubble of laughter and a choking sound.  Prompto and… Alin perhaps?

“Night.” There was a chorus of the same from the remaining men and then Gladio pushed into the tent.  Ignis had just turned over, hiding like a coward, and he hoped that in the time it took for Gladio’s eyes to adjust to the darker space, he would look to be asleep.

There was a rustle of clothing as Gladio presumably changed into his sleepwear which, depending on the day, could consist of a tank top and pants or simply bottoms.  The night air was brisk, Gladio wouldn’t be foolish enough to sleep without adequate clothing tonight. Or so Ignis, with his tentative grasp on his passion, hoped.

There was a series of pops and cracks, and the sound of a thud as Gladio’s back (presumably) hit the ground.  Gladio had an awful habit of stretching his neck and back before he slept.  Ignis could deal with being turned into a toad, being poisoned, even turned to stone – but that noise just disgusted him.  Thankfully Gladio tended to stop when Ignis asked him to. Considerate, at least.

“Ignis? You awake?”

Ignis didn’t move, he even held his breath.  It was childish to the extreme but he wasn’t in the right frame of mind for a deep discussion right now.  He wondered if Gladio wanted to talk about earlier today, or about some other matter.

Gladio moved in the dark and Ignis thought he might be trying to see if Ignis was actually asleep.  Ignis tried to even out his breathing.

A hand pulled Ignis’s blanket up and tucked it snugly under his side.  It could have been his imagination but Ignis thought it may have lingered.

“Well goodnight anyway.  Not sure what I did to piss you off today but… I hope you’ll talk to me tomorrow.” 

Ignis hadn’t even considered how Gladio would have felt about his silence and felt ashamed by his actions.  He would make it up to Gladio, no doubt about it.

Ignis lay on the floor of the tent, feet tucked up and chest down.  Even though he knew it was bad for his posture, Ignis found he couldn't sleep well unless he was on his stomach. His face was turned away from Gladio, a precaution he had taken to prevent Gladio from discovering he was actually awake.  His left hand lay curled beside his head.  The air was chilly and Ignis regretted not having the appendage closer to his body.  His fingertips fluctuated between the feelings of numb and tingling and it was rather uncomfortable. 

There was a grunt as Gladio shifted. Ignis couldn’t see but he hoped it was closer rather than farther away.  There was a brush of warmth as Gladio’s fingertips touched Ignis’s own, so briefly it could have been his imagination.  But no, the heat was still there, only just out of reach.

Gladio was asleep, it was safe.  Ignis stretched out his hand, lazily enough to pretend it was slumber taking liberties.  His palm settled nicely over the back of Gladio’s hand, the fire of his flesh burning the cold away and melting what was left of Ignis’s resolve.  He fell asleep soon after, peaceful and content.

And Gladio smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Sauronix for once again letting me use the aphrodisiac idea from her fic "The Sweetest Leaf". Y'all should check it out, it's really well written.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me so far - only one more chapter to go! Cue the cheering and the dancing!
> 
> <3!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My hands hurt after writing this chapter, I can't believe how long it got. This is also my first time writing m/m sex so I apologize in advance!

 

When Gladio awoke he was surprised to see he had shifted in his sleep.  Iris used to complain about how he was essentially a giant rock.  Never snored, never moved, slept like the dead… Man, life was just full of surprises these past few days. 

He was now pressed up tight against Ignis’s back, a position that would have been very comfortable had, a) Gladio known Ignis was okay with this kind of contact and b) Gladio not been sporting some impressive morning wood.  He wasn’t sure if he had to take a leak or if it was related to his close contact with the object of his affection but he rolled onto his back anyway.

The shoulders beside him were tense and Gladio figured Ignis must have been awake for a while.  Usually Ignis was up and cooking breakfast by now but he either hadn’t wanted to move, or he was still angry about the previous day’s awkward events and didn’t want to wake Gladio up and risk potential confrontation.

Well, no point in beating around the bush, this was as good a time as any.

Gladio sat up, sinews popping as he engaged in a luxurious stretch. He ran a hand through his sleep-mussed hair, and tried to bring it into some semblance of calm.

“Hey Iggy, I know you’re awake.”

The shoulders relaxed and Ignis rolled over so he could see Gladio.  His face was a mask.  Was he happy? Sad? Annoyed? Constipated?  Gladio never could tell with morning-Ignis, sometimes he was just peachy but without his Ebony fix he looked like he’d eaten a whole lemon.

“Good morning.” Came Ignis’s reply, only a shade above cool.  It didn’t look like Ignis was really in the mood for conversation but Gladio didn’t want anything awkward to be between them.  He was too worried about their friendship.  And if Ignis was disappointed with what he saw at the waterfall? Then embarrassing or not, Gladio wanted to get that out in the open.

“I… I know you saw me yesterday.”  Gladio expected some sort of shame to shadow Ignis’s face, he hoped for some visual clue that could tell him what exactly his friend was feeling. Unfortunately, there was nothing.

Ignis sat up as well, and pulled the blanket off his torso to let it pool in his lap.  Then he let his hands fall on top. Gladio saw him bite his cheek, a bad habit that only came to light when Ignis was over-thinking something.  That kind of made Gladio nervous.

“I did.” Ignis answered instead, voice light.  His eyes met Gladio’s a moment later.

“Shit Iggy, I’m sorry.  You shouldn’t have had to see that… Fuck, how embarrassing.” Gladio rubbed the bridge of his nose with a finger, and hoped he hadn’t ruined a perfectly decent friendship.  As close as they were, some things you just couldn’t unsee.

Ignis’s eyes narrowed and he looked away, his hand moved beside him.  He took the corner of his pajama top and wiped the glasses he now held before he put them on his face.  Like a shield.  Now he looked ready to face the world, ready to give Gladio a piece of his mind.  And Gladio would take it – anything – in order to get Ignis to forget about what happened and to start talking to him.

“It could have happened to anyone, Gladio.  Don’t worry. I apologize for intruding upon your private time.”

What? Ignis wasn’t mad?  Wasn’t telling him that he was disgusting? Wasn’t even going to tell him off for… anything at all?

“You weren’t intruding, I shouldn’t have--.  I didn’t know you were there, that you came.”

Ignis pursed his lips and his mouth twitched in amusement.  “But I didn’t.”

“Huh?” Gladio was really confused.  This talk was not going like he’d thought at all.

“I believe that out of the two of us at the falls yesterday, I was not the one who… came unannounced.”

It dawned on Gladio.  “Ignis, are you making a joke?”

“Only a small one.  Not a large one, mind, you don’t need any help in that department.”  Ignis’s eyes were twinkling with mirth, and he seemed to have enjoyed his little play on words.

“Hah, yeah, thanks a lot--” Gladio’s eyes then opened wide as he realized something. “Just how long were you there?”  What had Ignis seen?  Did he hear anything?  _Fuck_! Gladio couldn’t remember if he’d said Ignis’s name or not. _Fuuuuuuuuuuck!_

“Long enough.  Apologies once more.”  Green eyes met Gladio’s again and Gladio was surprised to see how dark they had become.  And then there was that pink flush.  But… if it wasn’t anger or embarrassment…? And then there was the fact that Ignis had reached for his hand during the night.

Gladio decided to take a leap of faith and prayed to the Gods that he would land safely.

“Yeah, well, maybe I should’ve charged admission.  Besides, I’d still prefer you catch me than Noct or Prompto. Don’t want to ruin their brains this early on.”

Ignis still hadn’t moved from his position but Gladio could see that his hands had tightened in the blanket somewhat.  It wasn’t cold at all, the tent was toasty warm what with the sun out and Gladio being the large furnace that he was.  Why did Ignis still need his blanket?

“Is that so? And yet my brain is perfectly corruptible by your standards?”

Gladio turned his body to face Ignis and leaned closer. Then he whispered in Ignis’s ear. “I’m not the one who couldn’t stop watching.  Pretty sure you’re the dirty one here, not me.”

He could see a muscle in Ignis’s cheek twitch, see his long dark eyelashes fall as Ignis closed his eyes tightly.  It was now or never.

“Did you like what you saw?”

There was an audible _gulp_ as Ignis swallowed and then tilted his head to face Gladio. They were centimeters apart, and Ignis could probably feel Gladio’s breath against his face.  Shit, probably should have brushed his teeth before this conversation. 

“I did.”  The voice was soft but it sounded like thunder to Gladio.  He could feel the blood pounding in his ears as the words echoed in his mind. “I’m sorry, I—“

Ignis next thought was cut off as Gladio cut in. “You should’ve stayed.  I’d’ve preferred the real thing to a fantasy.”

Gladio let that image float through Ignis’s mind as he slowly brought his hand forward.  The blanket bunched in Ignis’s fingers was being held in a death grip but Gladio slipped his hand underneath and found what he had had hoped for, had wanted, for what seemed like ever.

Ignis was hard.

Ignis was as hard as a fuck and Gladio really didn’t think it was ‘cause he had to pee.  He squeezed gently and a full body shiver went through the bespectacled man. Vibrant green eyes shot open and something between a moan and a gasp escaped his mouth.

“Is this for me?” Gladio continued on, his voice sounded even deeper to his own ears.  Gods, what Ignis did to him!

“If you’ll have me.”

“Fuck, Ignis, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to hear that.” Gladio removed his hand, smirk stretching the corner of his mouth at the sound of desperate longing that squeaked past Ignis’s defenses.  He grabbed Ignis’s hand in his and brought it to his stomach, and trailed downwards.  “And this is what,” he rounded his pecs and moved lower, “you do,” he reached the base of his erection, “to me.”  He pressed Ignis’s hand firmly against his arousal and let it sink in.

Ignis’s fingers twitched and the heat that bloomed up from Gladio’s cock was enough to make him lightheaded.  After all this time, the real thing was—

Ignis snatched his hand back and before Gladio even had a chance to be surprised, he pounced and knocked Gladio onto his back.  Warm lips covered his own as Ignis moved to sit astride Gladio, and pinned the bigger man beneath his body. Gladio reciprocated in kind, pouring ages of unanswered lust into the kiss.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Ignis mumbled, and Gladio couldn’t tell if he heard the question or felt it against his lips.  “I have never felt this way before.  Ever.” He brought his forehead to touch Gladio’s own and tried to control his breathing. “What have you done to me?”

“Hey, hey!” Gladio protested weakly. “I could say the same about you.  Been experimenting with any spells lately?”  He meant it as a joke but Ignis seemed to seriously consider the question.

“I have not.  This is not the result of a spell, I guarantee it.”

“Good to know.” Gladio ground his hips upwards to stop that train of thought and almost lost his composure when he saw the blissful expression on Ignis’s face.  “Because I want this to be real.  I want you.”

Ignis’s eyes were nearly black. “Astrals above, Gladio, I feel the same.”

Gladio felt like he was about to burn up, like the Infernian himself had somehow made him his vessel but didn’t choose a body strong enough to withstand his force.  It was amazing and way too much at the same time.  The pressure on his lips, hands on his chest, cock against—

There was a tentative sort of half knock half scratch at the tent opening.  Probably the closest someone could come to alerting the occupant while not having solid walls to rap knuckles against.  Ignis jerked up and tried to de-couple himself but Gladio wasn’t having any of it.  He’d waited for this long to hold Ignis in his arms, he wasn’t letting him go now – not without a fight.  Or at least one hell of a damn good reason.

“Gladiolus? Or....um, Ignis?” Came a tentative voice, deeper than either Noct or Prompto.  Alin, then.

“What?” Gladio couldn’t help but snap. He wrapped his arms around the squirming man on top of him and held him close.  Ignis’s head lay against Gladio’s chest and Gladio took the opportunity to whisper, “Shhh, he won’t come in.”  Ignis stilled, although his body was still tense. 

True enough, Alin made no attempt to unzip the tent and enter.

“Well… Noctis and Prompto tried to make breakfast.  And neither of them wanted to wake you guys up so… yeah.  Breakfast is ready but,” This last part came at a lower volume than the rest, “It looks really bad.”

Ignis seemed to have shaken off his fight or flight reflex and now lay boneless against Gladio’s body, fingertips drawing patterns against the bigger man’s collarbone. It tickled and Gladio wanted to grab the tempting fingers and suck them into his mouth one by one.

“Those morons.  I’m surprised they didn’t set the stove on fire. Okay, we’ll be out in a sec.” 

“Okay. I’ll let them know.”  There was the sound of rocks crunching underfoot and Alin’s presence vanished.

Gladio peered down at the man on his chest, and his heart pounded when he saw green eyes were already on him.  Ignis’s glasses were slightly askew and it gave him a sort of sexy professor type of look which was only slightly tempered by well-worn pajamas.  Was there ever a time when Ignis didn’t look delicious?

“We should get going. The others may get suspicious if we linger.” Ignis spoke first as he pressed a chaste kiss to Gladio’s lips and withdrew.  Gladio caught him before he got too far and nipped the end of his nose. He was pleased to see a blush spread immediately across Ignis’s cheeks.

“Let them wonder. The only thing I’m hungry for is right here.” Gladio reached around and grabbed hold of Ignis’s ass and pinched.  There was a jerk of surprise and a rather undignified noise that escaped Ignis’s mouth, but the expression of his face was nothing short of happy.  Ignis sat up fully and in one smooth motion, slid off of Gladio’s body.  For a moment Gladio’s cock fit snugly between Ignis’s ass cheeks and then the other man was gone, back to his side of the tent to get changed.

Gladio let his gaze pass over the brunet as the shirt and pants came off.  The body beneath was slim but tight, muscles clearly visible under his pale skin. It was nothing compared to Gladio’s bulk but it suited Ignis perfectly.  Gladio had to look away, especially when Ignis took off his boxers, because he didn’t think he’d be able to control himself.  He was still crazy horny but had no time to jack off.  Time to think about Yojimbo pole-dancing.  That always cut the tension and was a hilarious image to boot.  Besides, Yojimbo could just fuck right off.

“Are you planning on staying dressed like that all day?”

Ignis was ready.  Damn he was fast for someone with so much gel in his hair.

“Naw, I’ll be out soon.  Don’t want you to see me naked up close.” Gladio smirked. “Otherwise I won’t have anything to show you tonight.”

“Tonight? And what will happen tonight?”

Gladio got to his knees and began to pull off his clothes. “Tonight I’m planning on corrupting you completely. Got a problem with that?”

Ignis was halfway out the tent when he paused and drew back inside, at such an angle that it was guaranteed no one outside could see.  “Not a one.  I’ll be waiting.” And with a wink, he was gone.

Gladio knew how interested Ignis must be if he agreed without even worrying about money.  Tonight would be a night to remember.

The rest of the day passed slower than Gladio ever thought possible.  He just wanted to get in the Regalia and drive, drive, drive – find somewhere out of the way, make an excuse to get Ignis alone and, well, spend some _quality_ time with him.  Instead, the Gods seemed to be conspiring against him.  Bahamut was probably to blame, he sounded like a real jackass.

First was breakfast.  That was fun.  Alin hadn’t mentioned that the stove was also on fire.  As it was, Ignis came up with an amazingly obscure reason for not being able to eat the charred yet somehow still half raw meal.  Something about religious observance and fasting?  And Noct fell for it hook, line, and sinker because Ignis could bluff his way out of an anak’s ass.  Gladio didn’t want to be the second person that day to refuse a real attempt at cooking on the Prince’s part (Prompto only decorated the plates) and so he got to experience hell. 

If Titan ate food, this is what came after.  It smelled bad, it wasn’t tasty, and it gave Gladio major gas.  Prompto did do a great job with the garnish though.

Then they had to take Alin home which was a trial and a half.  He didn’t actually live super far away but between his wife sobbing and his kids screaming and then the lunch they got roped into eating… Gladio probably would have enjoyed it all if he hadn’t been preoccupied with thoughts of the evening.  As it was, Prompto got all the credit – and Gladio was happy to let it stay like that.  The way he saw it, killing monsters was easy, you just needed a weapon and the ability to move your legs.  Quickly. Saving someone’s life… that was a whole ‘nother story.

Yeah, Gladio and Noct had distracted the wasp but Ignis and Prompto had gotten Alin out.  Not to make a mountain out of a molehill but if it hadn’t been for Prompto’s amazing hearing in the first place, Alin would definitely be swimming in a wasp’s digestive fluids right about now. Noctis looked so damn proud to see Prompto accepting hugs from Alin’s whole family, along with a box of special greens from their garden outside.

As luck would have it, Prompto saved the one person in all of Eos that specialized in rare greens. Or his wife did at least.

Ashe was more than happy to give the Regalia’s resident chocobo lover dozens of whatever the hell he wanted.  And to top it all off, Alin and Ashe’s little girl decided she loved Prompto for bringing her papa back and wouldn’t let the gunslinger leave without covering his cheeks in the toddler version of kisses.  There may have also been a declaration of love in there somewhere.  Gladio had been distracted by Noct trying to sneak a few kisses of his own into the mix without anyone noticing.

Gladio caught Ashe’s eye on the way out.  It was clear she noticed Noct’s less than subtle attempts.  She looked amused and he may have heard wrong but Gladio could have sworn she muttered something about ‘young love’ as she and the rest of the family walked them back to their car and saw them off.

Prompto got another kiss for the road from his new little girlfriend, and when Ignis finally started the Regalia and drove off, Prompto still had a smile plastered across his face.  Gladio was pleased as well, if only because the blond’s happiness was infectious. Somehow the entire car seemed just a bit sunnier than usual.

Within almost no time at all darkness seemed to descend upon them, every streetlight they passed seemed to glow brighter and brighter in the night.  Gladio itched to stop as soon as possible, just like he was sure the rest of them were as well. Ignis must have been torn – he likely wanted to make up for lost time but Gladio knew, _he knew_ , that Ignis was just as hot for him as he was for Ignis.  The wait was probably just as bad for the both of them.

Eventually even Ignis decided that the drive was too treacherous and pulled into the next rest station.  Thankfully this one had a motel and a Crow’s Nest, much better than just a caravan.  And as much as Gladio loved camping, and he did, sometimes it was hard on the knees… and the back.  And with what Gladio hoped would happen this evening, he much preferred his aches and pains to be a result of something rock hard, not hard rock.

Hah, that was a good one. He’d have to tell Ignis, maybe the man would actually crack a smile at one of his jokes this time.  For someone who had a perpetual never-ending collection of awful puns, he sure judged everyone else for doing the same.  If anything though, it humanized Ignis.  He had always seemed so perfect in Gladio’s mind, even before he had fallen for the man.  This little chink in Ignis’s armor, this little imperfection, was Gladio’s starting point for getting to know the real him.

Prompto and Noctis stayed long enough to help move the bags from the Regalia to the room (only one was available, to Gladio’s misfortune) before hunger pangs dragged them away.  Prompto pulled Gladio aside before he left. Noct dashed off ahead to the Crow’s Nest, and Gladio watched Prompto’s unhappy reaction to Noctis getting to Justice Monster Five first.

“Listen Gladio, I hope you and Ignis are doing okay.” He didn’t wait for a response, he just continued to speak. “You guys barely talked at all last night and then today… Noct and I got kinda worried.  It’s not like you to ignore each other. So Noct said, and I quote, ‘Mom and Dad need some alone time.’”

Gladio thought hard, and tried to ignore that voice in the back of his head that wanted to order Noct to drop and give him twenty.  Although the Mom part worked well enough for Iggy – they’d all joked about it at some time or another.  Ignis was probably the closest thing to a mother figure Noctis actually had.  Hells, he still occasionally wiped sauce off Noct’s face without a thought. 

Anyway, he was getting distracted.  Had he and Ignis been ignoring each other? Or had he been so intent on not jumping Ignis’s bones that to the outsider observer that he looked as pissy as Leviathan at a pot-roast?  He opened his mouth to correct Prompto but the blond had only paused to take a breath.

“You can have the room for as long as you need, we’ll stay in the diner until you both talk it out.  Just let us know when you’re done, k?  Falling asleep on a diner counter isn’t all that fun.”

Gladio’s mouth snapped shut with a quiet snap.  Gods above, Prompto really was an angel in disguise.  There was no other damn explanation for him being as intuitive as he was.

Prompto seemed to take Gladio’s silence as acquiesce.  He grinned and his finger-guns made an appearance. Complete with _pow pow_ noises.  Gladio was wrong, Prompto was a freakin’ weirdo.  With a gun.  Angels probably helped him out to save their own skin. 

The car was parked, locked, everything unpacked.  Noctis and Prompto were out and would stay away until the coast was clear.  Gladio had Ignis all to himself – or was it the other way around?  Barely able to keep the excitement out of his stride, he entered the motel and found the room.  He had just put his hands in his pocket to find the keys when the door swung open.

“Your promptness leaves much to be desired.”  Ignis smiled and moved aside so Gladio could come in.  Gladio muttered a half-assed retort, kicked off his shoes and threw himself on the nearest bed.  There was a click behind him as Ignis closed the door and locked it. 

“What’s the matter?” Ignis was suddenly beside him, hand on the base of Gladio’s spine.  The circles he rubbed felt really good.  The bed tipped as Ignis sat down beside Gladio’s sprawled body.

“I get the feeling Prompto’s smarter than he lets on.”

“Ah.  Is that a problem?”

Gladio turned over and was pleased when Ignis’s hand didn’t move away.

“Naw, not really.”  Ignis probably knew what Gladio was concerned about but he didn’t seem worried at all. That helped push the uncomfortable thoughts away at least.  It wasn’t that Gladio was embarrassed – they hadn’t even done much – but _he_ wanted to tell the others, when the time came.  Now he only had to hope that if Prompto did know, that he’d be damn discreet about the whole thing.

“Anyway.  It’s been a while since this morning… you haven’t changed your mind about anything, have you? If you don’t want—I’ll still understand, Iggy.  You’re under no pressure here.”  Gladio would respect whatever Ignis said but he hoped to the Gods above that luck was on his side.

Ignis was silent for a few moments, but his hand ventured lower and then stopped just above the point of no return. “I’ll admit to having been caught by surprise by this whole thing.  I certainly cared about you, and appreciated you as a person, but the emotions – the feelings – those are new.  Or perhaps old.  I’m not entirely sure.  But what I do know if that yes, I want this. I want _you._ And if you’ll bear with my awkwardness and unintentional hesitations, I have the utmost faith in my ability to please you.”

“Please me?  This isn’t a me or you thing, Iggy.  It’s an us thing.  I want you to be happy just as much as me, that’s why I wan—need to know if you’ve had second thoughts.”  Gladio was slightly concerned but relaxed as Ignis shook his head.

“Poor choice of words on my part.  I meant that I am simply inexperienced.  This is completely new to me.”

New? But did that mean Gladio would be…his first? His _first_?  Fuck!  If that didn’t bring the pressure Gladio didn’t know what would.  Initially there was the shock of Ignis never having been with someone else – he was young and all but still, how could someone that gorgeous never have even…  And then the stress.  What happened if he didn’t like what Gladio did?  What happened if they ended up incompatible and it spread into their work life and made everything uncomfortable?  Shit.  Shiiiiiit.

Ignis must have seen something in Gladio’s face. He rolled his eyes.

“You’ll be my first man, Gladiolus.  Honestly.”  He shook his head like he couldn’t believe he had to explain himself.

Oh. Oops.  But still…  That was a bit disappointing.  Gladio had wanted to show Ignis the time of his life but if he already had sex before… Hm.

“So how was it?”

“It?” Ignis was confused.

“Sex. Did you enjoy it?  Just want to know what I’m up against, how hard I have to try and all.” Gladio laughed to lighten the mood.

“Do you really wish to have this discussion now?”

“I think it’s important, don’t you?”

Ignis sighed. “I agree I just hadn’t thought our evening would consist of so much discussion.”  But his voice sounded happy so Gladio knew he had made the right choice.  Ignis lay down on the bed beside Gladio, and threaded his fingers through Gladio’s own.  “Ask away.”

“Okay, well.” Gladio bit his lip as he thought. “You’ve only been with women?  And now you’re interested in me, right?  Can I ask… um, are you bi, then?”

“I wouldn’t define myself as that, no.”  The answer came quickly, as if Ignis had expected this question right off the bat.  “I’ve been with women in the past because I… well, because I felt like I should.  I never really had any supreme desire to bed one sex or the other.  And in the end, well, not even the pleasure was enough to continue.  Doing it myself was less of a chore and my sex drive was never high to begin with.”

Gladio propped himself up on his elbow to stare down at Ignis, more interested in the discussion than he would have thought. “So what changed? You seemed willing this morning.”

“I was and I am.  I’m not sure what happened between us but… I like it.  Maybe I developed feelings for you over the years but never realized.  Perhaps seeing you awakened something in me that I wasn’t willing to admit.  Either way, I regret nothing.”

“So you don’t care that I’ve been with others?”

Ignis snorted delicately.  “Care?  Why should I? You hardly answer to me.”

“Yeah, but, like…”

“Gladiolus.” Gladio shut up.  “I trust you are not the type to toy with people.  Therefore I am yours, figuratively speaking.  I want to enjoy myself, I want to be happy and make you happy.  I am willing to learn.  Will you teach me?”

Gladio’s voice was almost a whisper at this point. “Teach you what?”

Ignis tucked his arm under Gladio’s raised torso and, with an athletic move that Gladio couldn’t begin to understand, managed to slide underneath the bigger man.  Gladio had to put out both his hands to stop from smashing into Ignis’s face but the other man just smiled softly.  “Everything.”

“Everything huh?” Gladio chuckled and brushed his lips across Ignis’s forehead, just to annoy him.  “That’s a tall order, Iggy.  How—“

Ignis moved quickly, Gladio had to give him that.  He wrapped his legs around Gladio’s waist and pulled him down. Hard. 

“You talk too much.” Ignis managed to get out between heated kisses to Gladio’s neck, cheeks, lips… it seemed like anything that got close was immediately attacked. Gladio went with the flow and rocked, his arousal pressed into Ignis’s and the smaller man uttered a needy whine.

“Ignis, I—“ There was a small pop and Gladio, distracted as he was, lifted himself up long enough to see Ignis’s long fingers pulling down Gladio’s zipper.  What the--?  When did he--? How did he--? 

Ignis moved damn fast and Gladio felt his lust grow.  He managed to shimmy his pants off without his position changing too much and soon lay atop his partner, completely naked.  Ignis made no move to remove his clothing, and if he wasn’t careful, Gladio was worried Ignis’s pants would get ruined.  There was a monumental amount of pre-come leaking from his cock and he grabbed at it to staunch the flow.

“Here, let me.” Strong fingers encircled his and moved as if he knew Gladio’s every weakness.  Unable to control himself but also wanting to look at Ignis, Gladio sat up on his knees, thick thighs to either side of Ignis’s hips.  His cock jutted out proudly, and he could feel it increase in size with Ignis’s scrutiny.  His fingers loosened and fell away, leaving Ignis’s free to do their worst. Or very best, in this case.

Ignis’s glasses were about to fall off his face but with one arm keeping his body propped up and the other stroking Gladio’s dick, he couldn’t do much about it.  His pants were ruined, to Gladio’s chagrin (because damn if Ignis’s ass didn’t look delicious as fuck in this pair) but that would have to be dealt with later.  His top button had been popped open – that must have been the sound he’d heard earlier – but Ignis hadn’t the chance to take them off.  Gladio would enjoy doing that instead.

This was a scene that Gladio had only ever seen in a passing fantasy.  Ignis jacking him off.  Ignis liking it.  Ignis so intent on being perfect that he didn’t realize he already was.  Gladio couldn’t control his hips, his thrusts erratic and breaths shallow.

“How the fuck are you so good at this?”  He managed to get out, and hoped Ignis could understand through all the pants.

Cool, collected Ignis would be in the midst of a fit if he saw what he looked like now.  His face was pink, his glasses hung on – barely, his nipples strained against the fabric of his shirt.  Gladio wished he had Prompto’s camera so he could capture this picture and keep it forever.

“It’s what I like.”

So this is what Ignis did to himself?  Okay, with a low sex drive maybe he didn’t do it often but he sure as hells did it well.  This is what got Ignis off, this is what he liked best.  And fuck it all, it felt amazing but if Gladio didn’t stop it, he’d be finished before they’d even gotten started.

With one final jerk of his hips he pulled back, out of Ignis’s hand, connected only by one stubborn string of pre-come the refused to let Ignis go.  No. This night couldn’t end this quickly.  He’s been waiting for too long.  So with great regret, Gladio moved back until he could sit between Ignis’s clothed legs and gave himself a moment to recover.

Ignis, obviously, was concerned.

“Did I do something wrong?”  He sounded upset.

“Oh Iggy, fuck no. You did everything right.  But I don’t wanna come yet, I want this night to last.”

“Understood.” Ignis said, but he let his head fall backwards in what could only be dejection.  Did he not believe what Gladio said? How could _anyone_ not know how Gladio felt by now?

“Iggy. Can I touch you?”  The words left his mouth before he could think of a better way to express himself.  Fuck it, jumping head first sometimes worked.

“What?” Ignis’s head rocketed up in surprise. 

“I wanna make you feel good.  That okay with you?”  Gladio knew what Ignis’s response would be but he waited for confirmation anyway.  He could tell that even though Ignis said he was ready for anything, that he’d have to take it slow.  Guide him properly.  Hopefully if all went well, he’d also be willing to listen to Gladio’s request for the evening’s finale, so to speak.  And besides, he’d been slavering at the idea of blowing Ignis all damn day.

“Hm.” There was a smile on his face.  “That’s an acceptable option.”  And then Ignis, Mr I-Have-No-Experience, licked his gods-damned hand.  Gladio could see his pre-come glisten on the tip of Ignis’s tongue before it was swallowed down.  Gods—fucking-DAMN. 

With one strong motion, he ripped Ignis’s pants right down the middle, exposing the other man’s juicy hand-on to the motel air. The pants were already ruined, he was just helping their owner get them off.  He ignored Ignis’s exclamation of surprise and bent down.  He grabbed Ignis’s hips to hold them steady.  Then he settled over Ignis’s arousal and licked one long, hard line up from root to tip before slipping the head into his mouth and swirling his tongue around the slit. 

Ignis was a phenomenal cook but he tasted better than anything he’d ever made.

Gladio ended up lying half on, half off the bed.  He knew from past encounters that blowing someone while seated could do bad things to you neck and back and there is no way he wanted to explain this sudden pain to either of his two absent companions.  Plus this way he could move enough to stimulate his own hard-on without being worried about coming too soon.  Friction was a magical thing.

Gladio let the cock slide from his lips, and pressed a kiss to the tip.  He wrapped his fingers around the shaft and stroked upwards.

“You see,” He started, his training instructor voice returning from a long absence, “What you want to do is play with both the shaft and the head as much as possible.  Balls feel good too.” He dragged his fingers up and down, the saliva from his mouth helped make the process smooth.

“Although this feels good.” He stroked for another moment and then stopped.  “And this feels good.” He opened his mouth again and latched on to the cockhead once more.  He dragged the flat on his tongue across the head a few times, before he swallowed the first few centimeters and pulled off almost immediately.  “The feeling is much, much more intense if you do it all together.”

Gladio moved his hand and he engulfed the head at the same time. He bobbed up and down, and his hand joined in until he found the rhythm that Ignis seemed to like best.  With his free hand he reached in and grabbed Ignis’s balls, and rolled them in his large hand.  They were heavy and full and Gladio couldn’t help but abandon the cockhead to suck one, and then both of Ignis’s balls into his mouth.  He found the seam that led down and ran his tongue along it while he continued to stroke the shaft.

“How you feelin’? Gladio couldn’t help but feel smug when he finally lifted his head out and looked at Ignis.  The man had dragged a pillow under his head to see better and by the Gods if that didn’t make Gladio even harder.

Ignis had finally pulled his glasses off and the red marks on his nose were still surprisingly visible. Gladio’d have thought there would be no more blood up there to do that.  Ignis’s mouth hung open, perfect teeth barely noticeable as he tried to suck in as much air into his lungs as possible.  Either Ignis hadn’t had a satisfying blowjob before or Gladio was damn good at them.  He’d like to think it was the latter. 

Ignis was quiet though - for once he didn’t seem to have anything to say.

“If you want, I can demonstrate again.  A teacher should always be willing to help out a student in need.”  He lowered himself down, this time with his eyes locked on Ignis’s face.  He got to see Ignis’s eyes widen with pleasure as he took the whole of Ignis’s cock into his mouth and throat, got to feel that pulse of heat in himself as Ignis’s eyes went dark.

Ignis moaned and was finally able to force his mouth to work. “I’m lucky to have such a hands-on teacher.”

He groaned as Gladio pulled back, leaving only Ignis’s weeping tip against his bottom lip, before diving back down.  Gladio’s hand worked furiously below, he stroked, jerked, twisted the shaft and balls until he felt like any more would probably result in a mouthful of something white.

With great reluctance, Gladio pulled off and sat back up. His cock was red from being rubbed against the sheets (they would probably also need a good wash) and Ignis uttered a low moan of distress at the sudden abandonment.  His fingers moved of their own volition and Gladio had to lean forward and wrap his hands around Ignis’s wrists to keep them, and him, still.  In this position both of their arousals rubbed together deliciously and Ignis had already wrapped his legs around Gladio once more and begun to rock.

Gladio had created a monster and he loved it.

“Ignis.”  He was promptly ignored.  “Iggy, look at me.”  Nothing.  It wasn’t until Gladio brought their mouths together in a deep and searching kiss that Ignis’s eyes focused and he showed himself to be capable of primitive thought. 

“Gladio?”  The voice was heavy with lust. “Why did you stop?”  Ignis was so damned adorable that Gladio could hardly help himself.  He ground his hips down once, only once, just to see those eyes beneath him cloud over in bliss.  This was all for him. No one else had ever seen this side of Ignis and by all the fucking Gods, Gladio knew that even if Ifrit were to set the world on fire, Gladio would die a happy man.

“I have a request.” Gladio was hesitant. He’d never asked someone to do this before and Ignis very, very new to the whole sex thing.  “You don’t have to say yes. I don’t want to force you. I can just blow you some more and we can call it a night well-spent.”

Ignis blinked and fought to get at least some blood back into his brain.  “What is it?”

“I…” Gladio was nervous but he pushed ahead. “I want you to fuck me.”

“What?”  Ignis was back and his fingers brushed against his nose in an attempt to push a pair of invisible glasses further up his face.  A sign of what – being uncomfortable? Thinking? Itchy nose?

“It’s… I don’t bottom. I’ve never bottomed before. But I can’t get it out of my head – you fucking me.  How good that would feel.  I… please.” Gladio floundered. It sounded so stupid now, trying to beg someone who had never enjoyed sex to top him.  He’d be surprised if Ignis even wanted to continue being in the same room with him after this. Inappropriate.  Un-fucking-believable. Maye he could pass it off as a joke--?

“It means that much to you?” Ignis didn’t sound angry or upset, just curious.

“… I think about it a lot.  The first time I thought about it, fuck Iggy, I never came that hard in my damn life before.  But you don’t have to.  I just thought I’d ask.  It’s stupid, ignore it.”  Gladio made as if to go down on Ignis again but the legs around his body held him in place.

“Yes.”  The words were simple and sweet but Gladio needed more.

“Yes? Yes what, Iggy?”  He really didn’t want to misunderstand, not at this crucial point in their relations.

“Yes, I will do as you request.  I may not be good, but if it’s something you desire, I shall endeavor to do my best.”

“Oh my fucking Gods, Iggy, you’re heaven-sent.”

Ignis laughed and loosened his grip on Gladio’s lower half, letting the larger man move freely.  “Hardly.  I’ll admit to your thought having crossed my mind as well.  And how could I say no to you when it’s clearly something you crave?”

“You’re perfect.”

“Only for you.”  They kissed and Gladio threw himself off the bed and towards his backpack.  He knew he had it in here somewhere.  He hadn’t used it for a while but – Aha!  There it was, at the bottom of the inner-most pocket. Lube and… a condom! Fuck yes.  He knew that playing with his ass on a regular basis would come in handy someday.  Err, that sounded bad.  He had supplies, that’s what he meant. 

Sometimes there were days when he really couldn’t keep it together.  Maybe Ignis had smiled in that super sexy way of his, maybe he’d protected Gladio’s six in a fight, maybe he’d even just made fleeting eye contact – Gladio never could predict what did it for him.  It was those days that he had it the worst because trying to touch yourself while surrounded by other men PLUS the object of your lust? 

So yeah, sometimes he vanished into the shower and fingered his ass some.  Sometimes he’d fake having to take a leak and beat off. Using a condom was a pain but he there were times he just didn’t trust the leaves around him to not be poisonous, he didn’t want to get a rash somewhere delicate because he wiped himself off with the wrong vegetation.

It all worked out this time though.  He had about half a bottle of lube left over – the good, non-flavoured kind (because somehow the flavours just never seemed right and he didn’t want to be put off strawberries if he ended up somehow ingesting some funky-ass lube.) 

There was one single condom left.  Gladio hadn’t used condoms for a few months but, yup, a quick check to the back reassured him – it wasn’t expired, no need to worry about it failing.  With as little experience as Ignis had, and knowing the man’s dislike of health issues, it was pretty clear he had nothing wrong with his junk. Gladio didn’t either.  But it was the principle of the thing – condoms were better unless they both decided against it.  And Gladio didn’t want to bring anything like that up this early on.

By the time Gladio returned to the bed Ignis had removed his shirt and what was left of his ruined pants.  They lay discarded on the floor at the foot of the bed.  Yup, Gladio would mourn their loss, even though he was the cause.  He’d just have to buy Ignis a new pair.  Maybe he’d even be invited into the dressing room. 

Ignis seemed to be fairly alert despite his ever-present hard-on.  He moved aside to let Gladio climb onto the bed and accepted the lube and condom.

“So… how would you prefer to do this?” He asked, and thumbed the cap of the lube open.

Gladio shivered in anticipation.  He knew what was coming, he wanted it, but now that the time had finally arrived he didn’t know what to say.

“I guess if I lay on my back… it might be easier to prep me?  I’ll do it if you’d rather not--.”

Gladio was silenced with a brief kiss and a hand around his cock.  His mind melted and oozed out his ears.  Figuratively.

“Gladio.” Ignis began, his own voice taking on a dominant note. “If we are about to have sex why on Eos would I care about where I needed to put a finger or two?  Stop overanalyzing.  I told you, I want to make you feel good. Help me do that.  There will be no judging here, least of all from me.”

Gladio eased out a slow breath. Ignis was right.  He was being ridiculous.  Gladio just still couldn’t believe that this was actually about to happen.  He had long ago told himself nothing would ever come of his fantasy and to actually be in bed with Ignis and ready to fuck?  Gods, he had to get his act together before Ignis lost respect for him all-together.  He was strong, he was tough, he could asked to be fucked doggy-style because that’s what a real man would do!

Ignis must have seen the manic look in Gladio’s eyes because the hand on his junk moved away and pulled at his hip.  Ignis urged Gladio onto his back and pushed trembling legs out of the way before kneeling in.  The cap of the lube snapped shut and Gladio could see – barely – that Ignis’s fingers were shiny.  When they rubbed together all Gladio could think about was why they weren’t inside him yet.  He closed his eyes to calm himself down.  He still couldn’t understand it – why the fuck was he so gods-damn nervous?

There was a light brush at his entrance, tentative, like it was afraid any more would hurt.  Gladio growled – he wanted more.  Ignis must have misinterpreted his reaction because there was a soothing tongue attacking his perineum moments later.  It flicked against the sensitive skin under Gladio’s balls and felt so good Gladio decided not to correct Ignis’s misunderstanding.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”  Ignis whispered.  Gladio had to strain to hear it.

Then, with more confidence than before, Ignis teased the tight ring of muscle with the tip of his finger.  Slowly, much slower than was normal when Gladio did it himself, Gladio relaxed.  The finger slipped in.  And Gladio forgot to breathe.

It was just one finger – one finger! – and yet Gladio felt fuller than he ever had in the past.  Probably had something to do with the person inserting it.  And his heart.  Gladio had always been able to separate sex from sentiment well enough but not this time, not with Ignis.  The more Ignis pushed in, the more he pumped in and out and muttered his apologies for the pain, the more Gladio felt his heart swell. 

It wasn’t just the sex.  Ignis was doing this for him, because he liked him.  Maybe he’d always wanted to do this, maybe he never had.  But to put all his whims aside to help Gladio with his desire?  None of his past lovers had ever been this completely unselfish.  Okay, sure, Ignis was still getting something out of it but he never brought any of this up, he was inexperienced with men.  And he was still ready to fuck Gladio’s lights out with little more than a “your happiness is my happiness’ type line? Shiva’s tits, what a man.

Gladio had been so lost in thought that it took him a second to realize Ignis had put another finger in.  Both fingers moved in and out slowly and Ignis’s thumb was massaging the taut outside muscle with each push.  It felt good.  Gladio felt good.  He let his legs fall open even more which allowed Ignis to move more freely.

Ignis crooked his fingers, Gladio could feel their angle change and he knew right away what Ignis was searching for.  He wanted to laugh because finding that spot was never as easy as porn made it out to be.  Ignis was adorable for trying thou— _Holy fucking shit_!

Ignis seemed to have found it.

Gladio had to grab the bedsheets with both hands to hold himself down.  His cock, which had already been pretty damn solid, was now painfully hard.  It was leaking a lot, too much even.  Gladio was worried that with as sensitive as he was now, he wouldn’t be able to last if Ignis didn’t fuck him quickly. 

“Ignis, I’m ready.”  And he was.  He needed Ignis in him now.

“Are you quite sure?  I still feel quite some resistance when I—“  He stopped at Gladio’s choked-off gasp.  A blunt nail had brushed that spot again and Gladio let go of the sheets to fist the base of his dick, to try and keep himself from coming right away.  Ignis pulled his fingers out with a wet sound.

Gladio wasted no time in turning around.  “I swear to Bahamut above, Ignis, if you don’t get inside me right this instant I will ruin you.”  He wouldn’t, not without permission, but the image seemed to move Ignis along.

There was a crinkle of a wrapper and then soft hands gripped Gladio’s hips.  He felt a kiss pressed to the base of his spine and then a large, blunt force pushing against him, inside him.  He couldn’t see anything and that amplified the sensation. It felt like Titan himself was at his back.

There was pressure, intense pressure that somewhat bordered on pain.  That was Gladio’s fault, he hadn’t wanted more prep time.  But it wasn’t unbearable.  It was stronger than an ache, but Gladio was more than willing to put up with that.

Ignis thrust a few times, shallow movements so he could get used to the sensation as well, probably.  Gladio had almost forgotten that this was Ignis’s first time.

“You okay?” Gladio managed to get out. His arms strained with the effort of keeping his body in check.  He wanted to meet Ignis’s thrusts, feel the other man bottom out inside him, milk the cock with his muscles until Ignis was ready to come at a moment’s notice.

“I should be asking you.” Came the reply.  And then, there it was. The give.  Slowly, smoothly, Ignis filled him.

Words couldn’t begin to describe how fucking amazing it was.

Gladio couldn’t help himself any longer.  He jerked forward and pushed back, impaling himself again on Ignis’s shaft.  Oh fuck it felt so good.

Ignis’s hands tightened on Gladio’s hips, fingers pressing deeply into the flesh as he got a firm grip. Instead of dissuading Gladio, it encouraged him.  He began to pull forward again but this time when he pushed back, he was met by Ignis’s answering thrust.  The sound of slapping flesh echoed throughout the room as Ignis thrust forward again and again. Gladio fell against the bed, arms finally unable to withstand the constant explosions of pleasure. 

Gladio let Ignis take control, let him do whatever he wanted to Gladio’s willing body.  Every few thrusts there was a whisper of a brush across his prostate, as if Ignis was deliberately drawing out the feeling.  It was better that way, Gladio knew if he got a full hit, he would come right away, no questions asked.

With a sound halfway between a moan and a growl, Ignis pulled out.  Gladio immediately mourned the loss, his hole aching for more.

“Turn around. I want to see your face.”  If Gladio didn’t know any better, he’d have thought it wasn’t Ignis fucking him.  His voice was rough, raw, emotional.  Gladio had never heard it before.

Without speaking, Gladio did as he was told. Ignis took up his spot again and thrust back inside in one clean motion.  If Gladio’s insides could talk, they’d probably be crowing in happiness.

Ignis reached down and enveloped Gladio’s arousal in one hot hand.  He stroked hard and fast, matching his movements both in and outside of Gladio’s body.  Then he leaned down, contorting his spine in such a way that he could kiss Gladio deeply and passionately and yet still be able to maintain his current speed.

Ignis twisted his hips and hit Gladio’s prostate head-on without even a second of hesitation.  That evil bastard knew all along what he was doing, then!  And Gladio loved him all the more for it.

Gladio felt his balls tighten. He knew what was coming.  He opened his mouth to warn Ignis but found himself unable to speak as a tongue worked its way inside, fighting with his as he fought to fend off his orgasm even a millisecond longer.  Ignis wanted him to come, wanted him to be satisfied, but Gladio sure as hells wasn’t going to do it alone.

Gladio squeezed, he thought he could feel every ridge and curve of Ignis inside him.  He felt his muscles ripple along the shaft.  He could see Ignis’s eyes slam shut, feel the body above him tense up.  But Ignis was a fighter, he refused to cross that final line.

So Gladio helped.  He let go, let the feeling of bliss wash over him, radiating from the tips of his toes to his hairline.  And that was the key.  Ignis came at the feeling of Gladio coming undone in his hand.  There was a wet sensation and Gladio could see the byproduct of Ignis’s attention dripping down slim fingers and onto Gladio’s stomach.  It just kept coming.  Gladio felt like he was dying, _la petite mort_ indeed.

Ignis began to withdraw from inside Gladio but the bigger man wasn’t ready to let him leave yet.  He wrapped his arms around Ignis’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss.  He took his time with this one, tried to show his appreciation in licks and nibbles when his words were clearly impossible.

In due time though, probably no more than a few minutes, the stickiness between the both of them grew chilled.

Ignis climbed off and padded into the bathroom.  Gladio attempted to sit up but his body wasn’t used to the motions of sex and it was already complaining. Loudly. 

There was the sound of running water and Ignis returned with two damp towels.  He must have taken the condom off already because he then wiped himself off quickly, efficiently with one towel before tossing it to the floor alongside his pants.  Wanted to make sure no one would accidently use it again, Gladio figured.

The other towel was used as thoroughly as possible, and Ignis touched Gladio as if he were now made of glass.  The come was cleaned away and then the towel folded over so Ignis could use a clean side to clean Gladio’s ass.  There was a slight sting when Ignis pressed the damp fabric against Gladio’s anus but there was no blood.  Well, it was Gladio’s first time too, he wasn’t surprised that it stung.

Ignis ended up having to get another towel to finish the clean-up.  Gladio, for once, was happy to let Ignis do all the work.  Usually he’d offer to help with any chores but he was so exhausted by this point that he just enjoyed watching Ignis move to and fro.  All he needed was a frilly apron and he could fulfill Gladio’s sexy maid fantasy.

“For someone who doesn’t have a high sex drive, you know how to fuck damn well.”  A bit crude, sure, but Gladio was impressed his brain hadn’t shut down by this stage.

Ignis shrugged.  “I’m a quick study. Besides, not wanting to have sex all the time doesn’t make me any poorer of a participant.  Although I had fun, you’ll have to give me another hour until I’m ready for another round.”

“More? Hells Iggy, I can barely stand up.  No way I can do that again, not tonight.”

Ignis pursed his lips in thought and, still silent, ducked down into his bag.  He pulled on a pair of worn pants, something that Gladio had only ever seen him wear when he was at home in Insomnia. 

“You’ve awoken something in me, Gladio.  Watching you, hearing you… I’m not sure once in enough for me.”  He seemed surprised by the words coming out of his mouth, like he’d never expected he’d actually enjoy sex.  “Besides, you taught me so well earlier… it would be cruel of me not to put my instructor’s teachings to good use.”

Shit. He was talking about the blowjob, wasn’t he.  Well damn it all but Gladio could feel a twinge of interest begin to uncoil itself from deep down.  He was tired – exhausted even – but he wouldn’t have changed a thing.  And if Ignis wanted to blow him, well, that would just be the icing on a damn fine cake.

“But not yet.” Gladio mumbled, and Ignis nodded his head in agreement.  Then he joined Gladio on the bed and rubbed Gladio’s naked shoulder, strong fingers biting into tired muscles and keeping them relaxed.

“How are you not dead tired, Iggy? I feel like Titan just pile-drived me into the damn bed.  In a good way, ‘course.”

There was a small chuckle that escaped Ignis lips.  “I’ve been keeping watch over Noctis for over a decade.  If something as minor as a full-body workout kept me down, I could hardly protect the Prince from himself, let alone others.  I have years of pent-up energy to keep me going.”

“Well gimme some, will ya? I’m dying over here.” Gladio grumbled, not caring that he sounded a little more Noct than he cared to.

“As you wish.”  Ignis rolled over onto Gladio, naked torso pressing him further into the bed.  Ignis was heavy, but it was a nice weight, something Gladio could easily wake up to every morning.  Ignis pressed kisses against every part of Gladio’s face, his eyes, his nose, brow, and then finally his lips. 

It felt like their entire life was leading up to this one moment.  Like all the years of longing and fighting and lust and anguish were rolled into one point that shattered with Ignis’s touch.  If the dictionary had an entry regarding being deliriously happy, Gladio was sure his face at this moment would be pasted in there forever.

His mouth opened of its own volition, tongue moving against teeth to create words that fell like raindrops from the sky.  “Ignis, I think I—“

A finger pressed to his lips, kindly.  Saving Gladio from himself without even knowing.

“You’re hungry, yes? As am I.  I shall get us some food and return shortly.” He got up from the bed and stretched and Gladio really hoped no one else would be staring at Ignis’s crotch because the man was going commando down there and _holy shit_ Gladio was thinking about dick again.

“Prompto and Noct’ll probably ask if we’re done fighting.”

Ignis blinked and his lips parted as if to utter the verbal equivalent of a question mark.  Then he seemed to look back of the events of the day and understand because the corners of his mouth lifted and he smiled.

“Ah, I can see why they might have thought such a thing.  I will invite them back.  You’d,” He smiled again and let Gladio see the way his eyes roamed over his naked body.  Hungry, that’s what they were.  “You’d best put some clothing on lest our companions fill our free time with their questions.”

Right. Clothing. Crap.  Gladio really didn’t want to move.  And Ignis could see that.

“Gladio, there are only two beds in this room. Noctis and Prompto will have theirs, we will share this.  I think can make it worth your while to follow _my_ instructions this time.”  Was that a--? Yup, definitely a smirk.

“Whatever you say, boss.”

Ignis grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head, choosing to complete his casual wear collection for this evening. 

“I’ll be back. Get dressed.” And with a wink, he was gone. The door clicked shut behind him and Gladio could imagine the bounce in his step as he walked towards the diner.

He’d take a leak, get dressed – do what Iggy said because damn if he was going to screw anything up this early on.  If Ignis was happy, Gladio was over the fucking moon.  If things continued like this, he’d probably never have another bad day in his life.  Even without the sex, being with Ignis was just… well, to reuse an oft-used word, _perfect._

He closed his eyes for a moment.  When he opened them again he wasn’t sure how long had passed by he figured he should make the effort to move.  Gladio twisted off the bed, his back and ass aching like it was their prime directive.  But it was an acceptable pain, it kept Gladio’s mind fresh, kept the images replaying over and over in his mind.

As he made his way to the bathroom he realized that he had no way of explaining the laundry on the floor. Or the ripped pants. Or the stained bedsheets.  Or the fact that the room smelled like a brothel.

He heard voices in the hallway coming closer and closer. Heard the key jiggle in the lock.

Well fuck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to you all for sticking through this with me! It was awesome to read your comments after every update and see how much y'all were enjoying this! You're the best!
> 
> Many thanks to both Yuneyn and Sauronix for reading bits and pieces of this and liking it enough for convince me to keep going and not delete how ever much of the story I had already written. Self-doubt is a bitch!
> 
> xoxox


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